Nirvana
by VausemanFanfic
Summary: (Piper/Alex - AU) Piper always dreamed of a perfect life with a husband and children. But what happens when Alex is the one with child, and a dispute between Piper and Larry earns Alex a pass back into Pipers life? Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.
1. Chapter 1

"Hurry up!" Larry shouted. "we're going to be late again."

Piper cursed and hurried down the stairs. Larry wasn't one for waiting around, and Piper certainly didn't want to get him angry. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she straightened out the black knee-length dress she was wearing before looking at Larry.

"I'm here, I'm here. I was just running late after work and I didn't know.."

"Enough." Larry shouted, rubbing his temples in frustration. "You've made us both late now, we have to go."

Larry walked out to the car and Piper followed, locking the door behind her. God she hated Larry when he was angry. His short temper had begun soon after they had gotten married, and sometimes Piper felt as though she barely recognised him. Piper was having a stressful time at work and with the upcoming orders, everything was getting too much for her. He had no right to get angry at her. He had also suggested that Piper quiet PoPi and find another job, but she couldn't do that. She couldn't leave her best friend.

Speaking of best friend, that's exactly where they were headed. It was Finn's 6th birthday party and both Piper and Larry had been invited round to join in the celebrations. Polly and Pete had put together a small gathering of family and close friends, and as usual, they were going to be late.

"I'm sorry for making us late, Larry. Really I am. But I had a stressful day at work and I was home later than usual." Piper spoke in a soft tone, hoping that he would forgive her.

Keeping his eyes on the road, he replied. "I'm sorry for getting angry. I just don't want Polly and Pete thinking that we aren't coming. But you need to take it easy, I think this is all becoming too much for you."

Here it came again. The 'guilt trip'. "The business is great. And I'm doing fine, Larry. I'm not quitting now, not after everything we've been through. I've fought hard for this, both of us have. And I can't let it go."

The rest of the short journey was spent in silence and when they pulled up into the driveway, there was a pause before either of them said anything.

"Let's not argue tonight, please. I don't want to spoil Finns birthday party."

Nodding, Larry got out of the car and and the pair made their way into the house. A banner reading 'Happy 6th Birthday Finn!' was plastered on the front door, and children's music could be heard coming from the house as they rang the doorbell.

"You made it!" Polly shouted as she opened the door, welcoming Piper into her arms. After pulling away from the hug, Polly patted Larry on the arm and closed the door behind them. She was wary of Larry these days, especially after what he had done to Piper.

"PIP!" Finn shouted as he saw Piper in the doorway. He got up from the floor and threw himself at her, wrapping his little arms around her legs. Piper laughed and patted his head.

"Happy birthday dude! I hardly recognised you, look how big you are!" Both Piper and Larry laughed as Finn took a few steps back, before standing up straight with his hands on his hips.

Polly shook her head and laughed. "6 going on 16!"

Piper and Larry greeted some of the other guests and began mingling. Piper always hated small talk with people she wasn't too familiar with, but Larry had insisted that they get to know some new people.

After a while, Piper disbanded from the group of people and went over to the couch. She sat down and watched as Finn and his friends played with some of his new toys. As she watched, she felt a familiar ache in her heart. She wanted children so badly, but with Larry the way he was, it wasn't fair to bring a child into the situation. She lifted her head slightly and watched Larry, laughing and joking with another couple on the other side of the room. She smiled for a moment or two as she saw how happy her husband was, but it quickly faded when she saw the beer in his hand. The thing with Larry was that he had a short temper, which became even shorter after a couple of drinks. Sighing, Piper got up and made her way to the kitchen.

"If you frown anymore your chins going to be touching the floor. What's wrong?" Polly asked, pulling a chair away from the kitchen counter, motioning Piper to sit beside her.

Piper sighed and sat down. "Larry."

"What did he do?"

"He's drinking again. And in a few hours he's going to be completely out of it. Which means that it's more than likely he'll be in one of his 'moods' when we get home. I don't know how much more I can take, Poll."

Polly rested her hand on Pipers forearm and rubbed slightly. "Do you love him?"

"Of course I love him! But I also love the concept of having children, and it's not fair to raise a child when he's the way he is. What if he flies off the handle one day and hurts our child? Jesus Christ, it's bad enough when he gets angry at me. Just before we came over here, he got angry because I was 'late'."

Polly raised her eyebrow and a confused look spread across her face. "What? You weren't late at all. God sometimes I think he just enjoys making others miserable. You gotta leave him babe, you can't keep doing this."

Sliding a bottle of wine across the table and closer to the pair of them, Polly unscrewed the lid and pushed it towards Piper.

"I can't." She said. "Larry's probably drunk already, which means I gotta drive home."

"You can stay in the spare room, both of you." Polly suggested. "Maybe that way it won't end in an argument. If you're in someone elses house, maybe he won't want to raise his voice."

Piper snickered. "Trust me Poll, being in someone elses house won't stop him."

When the party was over, Piper went over to Larry. "All set?" She asked.

Larry looked up at her, that familiar look in his eyes. Oh boy, it was going to be one of those nights. His eyes were dark, and it almost seemed as though something had taken over him. Despite this, Piper was all to used to it. She was used to his drunken stupor, and all the arguments he would start once the two of them were alone.

"Pip!" Finn whispered from behind her. She turned around quickly and flashed him a smile, not wanting him to know of the anger and possibly violence that would occur later in the night. "Will you tuck me in?" He asked, yawning and rubbing the sleep away from his eyes.

"Of course I will baby. Come on, let's get you to bed." Piper picked him up and took him upstairs to his bedroom, tucking him in and giving him a goodnight kiss.

Finn was like one of Pipers own, and Polly loved how close the two of them were. She also loved that Piper was always there to babysit him when her and Pete wanted a night out together.

After tucking him in, Piper said goodnight to Polly and Polly kissed her cheek. "If you need anything, give me a call." Piper smiled. "I'm serious, if he starts anything you give me a call and Pete will be over to pick you up. I worry about you, Piper. This can't go on. What if one day, he goes too far?"

Piper closed her eyes at the thought. Polly was right. What if one day, Larry became uncontrollable?

They said their goodbyes and headed out for the car. It was just after midnight, but Piper knew that the possibility of her sleeping anytime soon was slim.

"Where are we going?" Larry asked as Piper started up the car. "Home." She replied, looking out of the back window as she reversed off of the drive.

"Will you drop me off at the club?" Larry asked, his words slightly slurred.

Piper fought hard with herself, she wasn't going to give in. Not tonight. "We're going home, both of us. You've had enough for one night."

As they drove along the road, the tension was thick. Piper could feel Larry's eyes burning into the side of her head and it was becoming unbearable. Once again, he was acting like a spoilt child. She wondered what had brought this on. Before they had gotten married, Larry was the sweetest person on earth.

"Drop me off." He said, his tone was sharp.

"I'm not leaving you out here, Larry. We're going home."

She saw his arms raise out of the corner of her eye and she quickly pulled over, stopping the car. She'd had enough. She got out and leaned on the front of their Range Rover. Larry got out too and stumbled towards her. If he wasn't angry at her before, he definitely was now.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I can't drive when you're like this, Larry." She said, resting her elbows on the bonnet and placing her head in her hands. "This has to stop."

He laughed and spat words at her. "If you'd just dropped me off, this wouldn't be happening. But no, you had to go and make a big deal of it, like you always do!"

Piper turned around and pushed at his shoulder slightly, scared at how close he was to her. "I'm making a big deal out of this? Fuck Larry, I don't know what to say to you anymore. One minute you're nice and the next you're tearing lumps out of me. What the fuck am I supposed to do? I don't want you going to the club because I don't want you in a worse state than you're already in! You're a mess Larry, and I'm terrified of you!"

He grabbed hold of her and pushed her up against the wall beside the car. His eyes burned with rage and his hand was pressed tightly to her throat. Piper turned her head to the side and squeezed her eyes shut tightly, preparing herself for what was about to happen. "Don't you DARE, talk to your husband like that." He slurred. "You're a bitch, you know that right? A pathetic little bitch. You don't get to tell me where I can and cannot go."

Through all the commotion, Piper hadn't heard the voice that was fast approaching the pair of them.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" Came a husky voice, a few feet away from her. Before Piper could turn her head to see who the stranger was, Larry was dragged off her and pushed up against the car. Letting out a deep breath, she fell to the floor as the lack of oxygen had made her dizzy.

The lack of streetlights meant that it was hard for Piper to make out who the dark haired figure was.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you that you DO NOT lay your hands on a woman? What the fuck are you doing?" The husky voice spoke again.

Pushing the stranger back slightly, he raised his fist before letting out an angry sigh. He dropped his fist and made his way back down the road that they had just drove down. No doubt he was going to the pub.

Piper was still slumped against the wall and her vision was blurry. She rubbed her head and tried to stand.

"Whoa, easy there." The stranger spoke, putting her hand on the side of Pipers face. Piper was helped to her feet and led back to the car. The passenger side door was opened and Piper hopped inside, resting her head against the headrest.

The interior light meant that they were both now able to see each other, however Piper still had her eyes closed.

"Fuck." The stranger spoke in the same husky voice.

Something clicked in Pipers brain and she opened her eyes to look at the dark haired figure that had just saved her. Her eyes opened wide and she struggled to speak.

"Alex?"

"Shit.." Alex said, looking down at her feet. "Maybe this is a bad time to say hi."


	2. Chapter 2

Alex couldn't believe this was happening. The last time she had seen Piper, she was 26 years old. 10 long years ago. They had just argued about Alex's chosen lifestyle and Piper had refused to be part of it anymore. She had begged Piper to stay, but she wouldn't. Not even after finding out her mom had passed.

Fuck, Alex wasn't the type of person to do the chasing in a relationship. But with Piper, it was different. Everything was different. Alex loved her, she would do anything for her.

"A..Alex?" Piper's voice rung out in her ears.

Was this really happening? Was she dreaming?

"Alex." She spoke again, this time propping her head to look at the older woman.

Alex shook herself from her thoughts and looked at the blonde woman who was sat in front of her. Her hair was messed up and her fringe covered her right eye slightly. And her blue/grey eyes, Alex swallowed hard as she looked deep into her eyes. A place that she knew she could get lost in if she stared too long. The dark-haired woman's eyes drifted down Piper's body, stopping at the graze on her knee. It must have happened when she had fallen to the ground. She thought about caressing it for a second, but she stopped herself. She didn't want Piper to be uncomfortable.

"Are..are you okay?" Alex asked, her voice a little shaky.

"Yeah, at least I think I am." Pipers voice was rough and brittle, probably due to almost being choked to death.

"Piper.." Alex leant against the car and spoke in a gentle voice. She knew that Piper was close to crying, and she wanted her to know that she was here for her.

"What was that?" She asked. "What was going on?"

"It's..it was nothing." Piper said, wiping the tears away from her eyes with the back of her hand.

Alex bit her lip and exhaled. "You're telling me, that it was 'nothing?' Because it looked like something to me."

Piper sighed and looked out of the windscreen at the dark road ahead of her. "It's none of your business, Alex. I'm fine. What are you even doing here?"

"I just saved you from that fucking jerk and you're telling me it's none of my business? He had his hands around your neck, he was choking you Pipes."

Piper shivered at the nickname. 'Pipes'. The nickname that Alex had given her all of those years ago. 'Fuck.' She thought to herself. Why was this happening? Why did it have to be Alex who had found her rowing with Larry?

"It was just an argument okay. He was drunk and things got heated. I'm fine." Piper wiped the tear that was rolling down her cheek and Alex caught sight of the wedding ring on her left hand.

Was she married or was it just a meaningless ring? Was that her husband? What sort of husbands treats his wife like that? A million thoughts ran through her head.

"Was that your husband?" Alex asked before she could stop the words spilling from her mouth.

"W..why'd you ask?" Piper asked, her words broken and shaky.

"You're wearing a wedding ring. Piper are you married to that asshole?"

"He's not an asshole!" Piper shouted, instantly regretting her tone. "I told you, we just had a disagreement. And yes, he's my husband."

Alex felt her heart shatter as Piper confessed to having a husband. She knew she had no right to care, but she did. She cared a lot. They stayed in silence for a couple of minutes, neither one looking at the other. Everything was messed up. They hadn't seen each other in 10 years. But for Alex, it felt like yesterday. It was clear that Piper had moved on, and Alex was the one who was still pining for her. This wasn't how it was meant to be.

"Your knee..does it hurt?" Alex asked, touching it gently with thumb.

Piper winced a little at Alex's touch. "A little. But it'll be fine by morning. I have to go, Alex. I have to go home."

"Are you kidding? You're seriously considering going home after what just happened to you?"

"Yes. Yes I am. And you don't get to have a say in that."

Alex sighed. She wasn't in the mood for another argument with Piper. She was drained, there was no fight left in her.

"Can I at least drive you home then?" Alex offered. Part of her hoped that if she drove Piper home, her husband would be there and she would be able to hurt him the way he hurt Piper. But she knew that it wasn't what Piper needed, not after what she had just been through.

"And how will you get home?" Piper responded, hoping that Alex would let her drive home on her own.

"I can walk. Heck, I was in the middle of nowhere when I found you. I think I can find my way home." Alex smiled slightly, trying to ease the tension between the two of them.

Piper sighed. There was no arguing with Alex Vause. "Okay, fine."

Alex got into the driver's seat and started the engine. The pair of them buckled in and the car pulled away from the curb slowly.

"You're gonna have to direct me." Alex laughed. She had no clue where she was going.

"Take a left here. I live in Washington Heights, you know where that is right?"

Alex nodded. "Fuck, nice neighbourhood."

"It's pretty nice. I mean I can't argue. The people are lovely." Piper replied, relaxing a little.

"You got lucky. I'm sure it's nicer than the shit apartment that I live in." Alex gave a husky laugh sending shivers down Pipers spine.

"Where do you live?" Piper asked, instantly regretting the question. Why did she care where Alex lived?

"I live in an apartment in Queens. It's not the best of places but it'll do, right?"

The rest of the drive home was spent in silence, apart from when Piper gave a few directions. Alex wanted so badly to stop the car and pull Piper into her arms. The blonde haired woman was leaning against the door, her black blazer pulled tightly around her. Aside from the graze on her knee, her legs were dirty and Alex could smell the cold off of her. Piper must be crazy to want to go home to that maniac, but Alex knew that she had to be even crazier to be driving her back to him. Pulling up outside of Pipers home, Alex turned off the engine and they both sat for a while, neither of them speaking.

"Thanks, for driving me home. And for tonight." Piper said, finally breaking the silence. She was grateful for everything that Alex had done. And as much as she loved Larry, she was glad that Alex had been there to get rid of him. She was sick and tired of his anger and rage.

Alex looked at Piper and reached out to put a warm hand on her thigh. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad I was there to help."

Both Alex and Piper got out of the car and stood awkwardly in front of it, each one waiting for the other to speak first.

"Will I get to see you again?" Alex asked, fumbling with her hands.

Piper thought for a second, and then replied. "I..I don't know."

"Can I give you my number? I mean, if you change your mind you can always give me a call."

Piper approved and handed her phone to Alex while she put her number into her contacts list. After giving her phone back, they said their goodbyes. Just as Piper was about to leave, Alex grabbed her by the wrist lightly, stopping her.

"Piper." She breathed. "Promise me you'll be careful, yeah? And please, if he hurts you, call me."

Piper rubbed her temples and nodded. Alex smiled and let go of her wrist, standing outside as she watched her former lover disappear into the house. Sighing, Alex pulled out her phone and called a cab.

Her brain was filled with thoughts of Piper during the cab ride home. The time on her phone read 1:34. Nicky was going to go crazy when she got home. She had promised to babysit but she knew that Nicky didn't like staying too late. She had a wife to get home to, after all.

Biting her fingernails, she thought about her baby, Kenzi. She was probably asleep by now, tucked up under her blanket with her favourite teddy.

Fuck, everything was a mess.


	3. Chapter 3

The feedback I'm getting from this story is unreal.

I was a bit unsure about writing this, but I'm so glad I did! Thank you for all of your support, you're amazing!

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"Nicky...I'm so sorry." Alex sighed, bursting through the door to her apartment.

Nicky was sat on the couch watching the TV on low volume. A couple of minutes more and she looked like she would've been flat out.

"Where you been, Vause? Kenzi's shouted for you 3 times! The kid sounds traumatised. I'm up for looking after her because you know I love you to pieces, but she hardly sees you anymore."

Alex flung her jacket over the arm of the sofa and sat down. She rubbed her temples and let out a sigh. Nicky's words had hit her like a knife to the stomach, but she was right. Kenzi was growing up right, and she was hardly even there to see it.

"You won't believe the night I've had, trust me. I'm so fucking confused. Why does this shit always happen to me?"

Nicky was one for gossip, and Alex knew that she was going to have to spill about tonight's events. Why did she have to open her big mouth?

"C'mon..tell me what happened. I'm all ears." It was amazing how quickly Nicky could wake herself up when she knew there was a juicy story to be told.

"Alright, but you're never gonna believe me. I'd just left Red after work and I went for a walk to clear my head. I was walking along and I see this dude in front of me with his hands around this girl's throat, shouting at her. He was only like an inch away from her face and he's stood there, screaming at the top of his voice. My first instinct was to get him off of her, a man shouldn't ever lay a finger on a woman. He was shouting but I wasn't really listening to what he was saying, I just knew I had to get him off of her. So I pushed him out of the way and told him to get lost. I thought he was going to hit me, but he just gritted his teeth and disappeared down the street. The smell of booze was ridiculous. Anyways, I went over to the girl and by now she'd fallen to the floor, no doubt exhausted from almost being choked to fucking death. Fuck, I can't believe I'm saying this."

Alex paused and Nicky punched her bicep, almost knocking her clean off the chair.

"Tell me! What happened?"

"The girl lifts her head, and it's her. It was Piper. Fucking Piper."

"Holy fuck, Chapman?!" Nicky shouted, jumping up from the couch. Back when Alex and Piper had first started dating, they had lived in Nicky's apartment for a few weeks while they were finding a place to stay. Nicky didn't hate Piper, infact, the three of them were actually really good friends.

"Calm down Nicky, fuck. You'll wake Kenzi." Alex scowled, rising to her feet and smacking Nicky in the chest.

"Sorry, shit sorry. Fuck, it was Piper?"

"Yes. And I didn't know what the fuck to do. I couldn't believe she was really there, in front of me. I helped her back into the car and we talked for a while. She looked so fucking tired, that asshole had almost choked her to death. It was like someone had sucked the life out of her, she seemed so withdrawn. And she's so much skinnier than I remembered her." Alex had noticed how tiny the blonde was, and it was frightening. She knew every inch of Pipers body, and it didn't take much for her to realise that something was desperately wrong with her.

"Can you imagine being choked by your own fucking husband? What sort of fucking life is that? Oh, and the best part?" Alex laughed and shook her head. "The best part is, she's back at home now and that dickhead is probably there right now, tearing lumps out of her. And I was stupid enough to drive her home."

She sat down, defeated by her feelings. Why had she been so stupid as to drive Piper back home? If anything happened to her, she'd never forgive herself. It was always hard to say no to Piper, something about those bambi eyes that made her melt inside. But surely she could've been stubborn enough to not let her go home.

"Dude, chill out okay. You aren't responsible for her anymore, she isn't yours. And you aren't hers. 5 minutes and you're already letting her get into your head. It's been what, 9 years since you last saw each other?"

"10." Alex corrected her.

"Exactly. Even more reason to forget about her. Well done for playing Spiderman and helping Mary-Jane to safety and all, but you gotta let it go. She left you, remember? You don't owe her anything."

Nicky was right. She needed to stop thinking about it. She was glad that she was there to help Piper to safety, but that was probably all she was ever going to see of the blonde again. Fuck her. She had left Alex when her mom died, when she needed her most.

"You're right." Alex sighed. "I just can't bare knowing that I was the one to drive her back home. I led her back to him."

"I'm not saying she deserves to have an abusive husband, and I feel for her. But I care about you, Vause, and I'm not gonna watch her tear you apart. Not again."

After saying goodbye to Nicky, Alex locked the door, turned off the lights and went into Kenzi's room. The little girl was cuddled up under the blanket with her favourite teddy, just as Alex had expected. Her dark hair had fallen over her face and Alex leant down beside the toddlers bed, brushing it gently out of her eyes, being careful not to wake her up.

Alex sat down on the floor and continued to watch her daughter as her chest rose and fell softly. She was laying on her back with her head turned to the side, facing Alex. Her elephant teddy that she loved dearly was wrapped up tightly in her arm that was draped over her chest. Alex still couldn't believe that this little girl was hers. It had all happened so quickly and she was still left wondering how she could've produced something so beautiful. She was just like a mini Alex, the same dark hair, same green eyes and when she was in a mood, she knew exactly how to throw a tantrum. But she also knew how to get her own way, and Alex could never say no to her.

She often sat beside her bed while she slept, watching her breathing. She was fascinated that this beautiful human being was a part of her. Alex had done a lot of shitty things in her life that she wasn't proud of, but Kenzi definitely wasn't one of them. Ever since she was born, Alex had loved her more than anything in the world. She came before anyone else, and she made Alex realise that she had to step up and stop being such a failure. She had to care for her daughter. She wondered how things would be if Chrissy was still here, how Kenzi would react having two mom's to look after her. But she didn't know where Chrissy was. She had no fucking clue.

"Goodnight beautiful girl." She whispered, kissing her forehead. "I love you."

And she did. She loved the little girl with her whole heart. Her broken, cold heart. Alex knew that this was the only girl who would never break her heart. And she was willing to do anything she could to protect her daughter from any danger.

Once she had removed her clothes and put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, she sat down on the bed and took a hairband off her wrist, tying her hair back into a messy ponytail. It had been a long, eventful night, and all she wanted was the comfort of her own bed. She was just about to get into bed when she realised that she didn't have her phone. Despite being a grown woman, she couldn't bare being away from her phone. Groaning, she reluctantly got up off the bed and went back into the living room, grabbing her phone from her jacket pocket.

When she was finally in bed, she turned off the lamp and picked up her phone from beside her. Pressing the home button, she found a text off a number that she didn't have saved into her contacts. Typing her passcode into the phone quickly, she was met by a message.

**'I can't thank you enough for tonight. I know you didn't have to do what you did, and I know that it was a pretty shitty time to see each other after all of these years. But I appreciate it, I really do. Larry came home, but he's asleep. If I know you as well as I think I do, you're probably worrying right now. You've always been a worrier, right? But I'm okay, and again, thank you for your help. Can we meet up some time? I'd like to see you again. Call me tomorrow, or sometime. Whenever is fine. But only if you want to. God now I'm babbling. I hope to see you soon.**

**- Piper.'**

And just like that, Piper had walked back into her life. Unexpectedly, just like the first time. It didn't take Alex long before she knew that the young woman had some sort of hold on her that meant she would always go running back. Even if it meant getting her heart broken a thousand times.

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Keep posting your reviews so I know what your thoughts are! You'll also get to find out who Chrissy was, and what happened in the next few chapters! All will be revealed eventually!


	4. Chapter 4

When Piper awoke the next morning, she turned over and found Larry, sound asleep beside her. An ache formed in her neck and she sighed quietly, waiting until the pain had subsided. The smell off him was unbelievable, beer and cigarettes. It reminded her of Alex, how she always came back from the bar smelling of booze and smoke. But she loved it on Alex. She loved kissing her and feeling as though she could get drunk just from the fumes. Alex always drank when they were together regularly, much like larry. But when Alex got drunk, she wouldn't ever lay a finger on anyone.

_Fucking Alex._

She checked the time , 7:09am. She hadn't got much sleep, mostly from the fear that if she fell asleep, Larry would hurt her again. Work started at 8:30 which meant she had enough time to shower and eat breakfast. Her feet dragged along the floor, carrying her to the bathroom. When she looked in the mirror, she was met by a shocking sight. Dark purple bruises covered her neck from one side to the other. She gasped and tears formed in her eyes. Larry had been violent many times, but only 1 of his earlier attacks had been bad enough to mark her. How was she supposed to hide this?

She got into the shower and let the water cascade over her body. Her eyes remained closed as she pressed her forehead into the cold, tiled wall. Bending down for the shampoo and soap was difficult as it hurt to move her neck, but she managed as best she could and within 15 minutes, she was out of the shower and was drying her hair. Trying not to anger Larry even more, she dried her hair in the next room and got dressed as quickly as she could. As much as she tried, the bruising on her neck wouldn't cover with foundation. Polly was going to flip when she saw what Larry had done, but realising she would be late if she wasted anymore time, she left Larry a note and left the house.

On the way to work she was able to stop at the Cafe and pick up two coffee's, one for herself and one for Polly. The great thing about owning a business was that she could afford to be a bit late to work. She parked her car and grabbed her bag and the coffee's. When she entered through the door, Polly was kneeling on the floor in front of one of the displays.

"Piper is that you?" She called.

"Yeah. Good morning. I got you a coffee. Hey, what are you doing?" Piper set the coffee's down on the counter and hung her jacket on the coat rack close to the door.

"You know how I like precision, I'm trying to change the display around." She huffed and cussed as one of the soap bars fell off the stand.

Polly had OCD, and everything in the shop had to be perfect. This meant that when customers picked up the items and set them back down even slightly off line, Polly would be there to make sure they were put back in exactly the right place.

"The displays are fine, Poll. Come and get your coffee before it gets cold, we're opening up in half an hour."

Polly let out a huff and got up from the floor. "So, how did last nig..Shit Piper, what is that on your neck?" She rushed over to Piper and tugged at the collar of her blouse. Piper winced as a pain shot trough the side of her neck and along her collarbone.

"Leave it." She spoke, pulling away fastly.

"Piper I am not 'leaving it.' What did he do? I told you to stay over at my house!" It was nice to know Polly cared about her, but she didn't need reminding that another bad decision she had made had left her battered and bruised.

Piper rolled her eyes. "We had an argument because I wouldn't let him go to the pub. I stopped the car because I didn't want him attacking me when I was driving. He grabbed hold of my throat and pinned me against the wall. I guess I shouldn't have agitated him, especially when I knew he was drunk. He stormed off and now he's at home sleeping, probably unable to remember a thing. I know you were right, as usual."

Polly went to speak but Piper gave her the 'don't ask me any more questions because I am not in the mood' glare, and she retreated.

"Kenzi come here!" Alex laughed as she watched Kenzi struggle up the stairs to their apartment.

She couldn't climb the stairs without help, yet she was adamant that she going to do it by herself.

"I can do it, mommy." She said softly, her hands out in front of her so that she was more 'crawling' up the stairs, rather than walking.

Alex followed closely behind her, making sure that she would be there to catch the toddler if she fell backwards. When they reached the top, Kenzi ran off down the hallway and stopped outside their apartment, sitting herself down on the floor. They had been to Red's café while Alex helped move some things for the older woman. Kenzi loved visiting Red as all the staff loved her to pieces. She was mischievous but she knew exactly how to get her own wa, and she had those eyes that would question the temper of even the meanest of people.

"Coming in, or are you staying out here?" Alex asked, raising her eyebrow at the little girl sat outside of her door.

Kenzi thought for a moment before getting to her feet and running into the apartment. She jumped onto the couch and watched as Alex set her jacket down on the counter. When Alex turned around, Kenzi ducked behind the back of the couch, hiding from Alex. Alex laughed and played along.

"Hey, has anyone seen Kenzi? I can't find her anywhere."

After a few moments, a head of dark hair peaked up from behind the couch and she giggled when she realised that Alex was looking directly at her. Alex went over to the couch and sat down, pulling the toddler on to her lap. She wriggled around before settling in a comfortable spot.

"Chip?" Kenzi questioned, pushing her face up close to Alex's. She tried to copy Alex's trademark 'eyebrow raise' but scowled when she failed to do it right.

Chip was Kenzi's favourite teddy. Alex didn't know where she had gotten the name from, but that's the name she had given it ever since she was able to speak. For a nearly 4-year-old, Kenzi never shut up talking.

Alex picked up the little girl and went into her bedroom, picking up Chip from the bed. Kenzi grabbed hold of it tightly and buried her face into the crook in Alex's shoulder.

"I think this little girl's getting a bit too big to be carried now, don't you?" Alex questioned.

Kenzi shook her head and locked her arms tighter around Alex's neck. Defeated, Alex kept hold of Kenzi and exited her bedroom. Just then, her phone rang on the counter. When she picked it up she saw Pipers name on the screen. Her heart began beating faster and her hand shook. It was only Piper, why was she getting so nervous?

"Hello?" Alex spoke, putting the phone to her ear.

"Hey. Is this a bad time?" Piper asked, hearing confusion in Alex's voice.

She cleared her throat. "N..no. Sorry, I just didn't expect you to call that's all."

"Oh, are you sure? I can call back.."

"No." Alex almost shouted into the phone. "No, I'm not busy. I was going to call, I've just had a busy day. But I'm free now."

"Who's that mommy?" Kenzi asked, lifting her head from Alex's shoulder.

Alex put the phone to her chest so that Piper couldn't hear her speak. "Go watch TV okay, I'll be back in a minute."

She set the toddler down and watched as she ran back to the couch.

On the other side of the phone, a look of confusion appeared on Pipers face. She was sure she had just heard someone call Alex 'mommy.' Shaking the thought from her mind, she went back to conversation.

"Hey Pipes, are you busy tonight?"

"No, no. Why?"

"We can do something, if you want to. I mean, we don't have to. It was just a suggestion." Alex stumbled over her words, becoming angry at her growing nerves.

"Of course. I mean, I'd invite you over here but..." Piper stuttered.

"Hey, I understand. We can just go for a walk or something." Alex knew that going over to Pipers place would be a bad idea, especially with Larry around.

"Sounds great. I just got back from work so give me an hour or so."

"Great, I'll pick you up and then we can decide where to go. Is that okay?"

Piper smiled at the thought of getting to see Alex again. "That's fine, do you remember my address?"

"I think I'll be able to find it, see you soon." Alex responded.

After hanging up, Alex knew that she would have to find a babysitter. Nicky was working tonight and Lorna had to visit her parents this morning. Reluctantly, she called Red. It wasn't that she didn't trust Red, it was just that she wasn't sure if she would be able to look after Kenzi. She was a handful, and she had only ever watched her in the café when there were others around.

"Alex? How can I help you?" A russian accent rung out in Alex's ear.

"I know it's short notice, but you couldn't look after Kenzi for a few hours, could you? I know this is a big ask, but I wouldn't ask If I wasn't desperate." Alex closed her eyes and prayed she would say yes.

"Of course, you know I love that little one! But would it be okay if you brought her here?"

"That's fine! Thank you Red, I really appreciate it."

Once she had told Red that she would be round within the next hour, she got a bag for Kenzi and packed some of her things. Clean clothes were essential for Kenzi as she was the messiest toddler in the world. No matter what she was given to eat or play with, she would find some way of destroying her clothes with it.

"How would you like to spend some time with Red?" Alex asked, setting the child's bag down by the door.

Kenzi stuck out her bottom lip. "But I wanna stay here with you." She whined. Alex's heart broke as she watched her little girl in front of her. She felt guilty for handing her over from person to person.

"Mommy has to go out for a little bit." Alex said, walking over to the toddler and kneeling down in front of her.

"I wanna come with you." She whispered, her lip quivering as she realised that her mom was leaving her behind once more. Alex sat down on the chair and pulled her on to her lap. She resisted for a moment before giving in and folding her arms.

"You can't come with me, Kenz. But I promise that I'll be home in a couple of hours."

A tear fell down Kenzi's cheek and she buried her head into Alex's stomach, clinging to her t-shirt.

"Hey." Alex spoke softly, picking the little girl up so that she stood on Alex's thighs. "When I get home, you can sleep in my big bed. And tomorrow, we can watch your favourite movies. How does that sound?"

Kenzi looked into Alex's eyes and then flung her arms around her neck tightly. Laughing, Alex picked her up and headed for the door.

"Sit still please." Alex asked, trying to strap a wriggling Kenzi into her car seat.

Obeying, Kenzi settled down and waited to be secured into the seat. She gripped on to Chip the Elephant tightly as Alex began the journey to Red's café. Red lived above the café that she owned with her husband.

"Where are you going?" Kenzi asked, kicking the seat in front her with her feet.

"I'm meeting up with one of my friends, but I promise I won't be long."

"So why can't I come?" Kenzi whined.

"I told you, you gotta go stay with Red. Mommy hasn't seen her friend in a long time, and we have a lot of talking to do. But maybe one day, you can come and visit her with me. Okay?"

Alex looked into the rear-view mirror and watched as Kenzi nodded her head furiously. When they reached Red's place, Alex said her goodbyes and left quickly. Although Kenzi always knew who she would be staying with, saying goodbye to her was hard and she cried if Alex hung around for too long.

Sitting in the car, she checked her call log to see how long it had been since Piper had called. It had only been 40 minutes, and Piper had told her she would need at least an hour to get ready.

**'Hey, I had something to take care of but it didn't take as long as I expected. Is it okay if I call round now? It'll take me another 10 minutes at least to get to your place but I don't mind waiting.'**

_'I don't mind. I should be ready by the time you're here. See you soon x'_

As Alex got closer to Pipers house, she became increasingly nervous. She had seen Piper so many times, heck they even lived together for 4 years. Yet her heart felt as though it was ready to beat through her chest.

Pulling up outside Pipers house, Alex decided it was time for a pep talk. 'You can do this. It's only Piper. Come on, you don't get nervous. Not Alex Vause.'

* * *

_**(A/N)** Again, I just want to say that the feedback I am receiving is great! _

_I wanted this story to be different from others that I have read, and I felt_

_ that giving Alex the child was the right thing to do. Keep your comments coming!_


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey Larry." Piper said, smiling as she appeared in the doorway. "I'm going out for a couple of hours, I have my keys so if you go to bed early I can always let myself in."

"Where are you going?" Larry asked. He was smiling, but there was a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"I'm meeting up with Alex. We haven't seen each other in 10 years."

"Alex?" Larry questioned, raising the question whether 'Alex' was male or female.

"Yeah, _she's _picking me up in 5. I won't be home late."

Larry relaxed a little when he realised Alex was a female. 'If only he knew' Piper thought to herself.

"Pipes..I'm sorry for last night. Really, I am."

Piper looked at the floor, unsure of what to say. "I..It's okay."

"No. No it's not. I shouldn't have done that to you. Look at the mess I made of your neck. I was just drunk and I don't know, I didn't know what I was doing."

"Just leave it Larry, please. I forgive you. But we need to sort this out. We need to talk properly."

Larry nodded at Piper. She hoped that the talk might do some good, but she doubted it. Piper's phone made a noise and she dug into her pocket to pull it out.

**'I'm outside' **It was a text from Alex.

"I'll see you later okay."

"Have a good time. Piper, I love you."

Piper gave him a weak smile. "I love you too."

She felt nervous getting into Alex's car. After all these years, Alex still intimidated her. It was just after 7pm, and the darkness made Piper felt a little more at ease. It meant that Alex wouldn't be able to see her clearly, and she wouldn't be able to fall victim to the intense stare that Alex used to give her.

"Hey." Piper said, getting into the car and closing the door behind her.

"How're you?" Alex asked, her voice a little more husky than she remembered.

"Great..okay. I don't really know actually." She laughed. "What about you?"

"Not so bad. A little tired but I can deal with that."

They drove for a few miles and Piper had no clue where they were going. She didn't really care. It was just nice to be in the company of Alex again.

Is he, is he at home now?" Alex asked. Piper wanted to play dumb, but she knew what Alex was talking about.

"Yeah. He doesn't work everyday so he was home when I got back from work."

"Did he argue again with you last night?" Alex asked, making a right turn. She pulled into a parking bay and cut off the engine. She had taken both of them to The Williamsburg Waterfront. A place they often used to go.

"I don't know if he went to the pub or just went straight back to the house but he was sleeping when I got home. He apologised before I left to meet you, but I told him we have to have a proper talk about it." Piper rested the side of her head against the window. "Our relationship is so fucking screwed."

Alex laughed at the language choice. "Can I ask you something?" She unbuckled her seat belt and turned her body slightly so she was facing Piper.

"Fire away."

"Has he hurt you before?"

Alex watched as Piper bit her lip and hesitated. She knew the answer that was coming.

"Yes." Piper whispered.

Pipers reply made Alex's heart hurt. She couldn't ever imagine that Piper would end up with someone who was abusive.

"How long..how long has this been going on?"

"It started just after we got married. So, 3 years? Up until then he was fine. He made me feel so safe, and now I feel like a stranger in my own home." Alex heard a sniffle and she knew that Piper was beginning to tear up.

"Piper look at me." She asked, reaching over to put her hand on the younger womans thigh. She did as she was asked and turned in her seat, almost mirroring Alex's previous movements. Alex could barely see Piper in the darkness, but she knew she was crying.

Piper felt a hand on her cheek and realised that Alex was wiping away the tears that were rolling down her cheek. She smiled and whispered, "Thank you."

"Do you want to come back to my place?" Alex asked. She knew it was risky because Piper would probably see Kenzi's things, but it was fucking freezing in the car and she hated the cold.

"Are you sure? Don't you have a girlfriend or something waiting for you at home?"

Alex laughed and wondered whether Piper was joking or not. "You're kidding, right? No, it's just me."

She felt a little guilty for lying to Piper, because she wasn't really living on her own. She had Kenzi. But now wasn't the right time to drop the bombshell that she'd gotten pregnant and now she had a daughter. Piper would probably just laugh at her - never in a million years would she expect Alex to get pregnant.

They drove back to Alex's apartment and within 15 minutes, they had arrived.

"Stupid fucking door." Alex muttered to herself, kicking the entrance door to the apartment building. After a few kicks, it opened and they both entered inside.

"I hope you like Chinese, because it fucking stinks in here." Alex laughed, making her way up the stairs. Living in Chinatown meant that _everything_ smelled like Chinese food.

Piper laughed at Alex's comment and followed her up the stairs. They stopped outside Alex's apartment and she jammed the key in the lock.

"I hope you like cosy spaces as well, because this isn't the most spacious apartment I've ever lived in." Alex took off her jacket and chucked it down on the arm of the couch.

"There's a hook on the wall to hang your stuff on, but I'm just too fucking lazy to do that."

Piper took off her jacket and hung it on the wall where Alex had pointed to. She watched as Alex went into the kitchen and switched on the kettle. Feeling a little uncomfortable, she opted to stand as she was unsure whether to sit down.

Alex leant on the counter and looked at Piper. "Tea?" She asked.

"Have you got something stronger?" Piper asked.

"Scotch..Gin..Beer?" Alex laughed. Piper was never one for drinking, but it was what she resorted to when she was having a shitty day.

"Scotch, please."

Alex went back to the cupboard and pulled the bottle out, setting it down on the counter. "You can sit down!" She shouted, reaching for a glass off the shelf above her head.

Piper took a seat on the couch and looked around her. It was cosy, but homely at the same time. The rusty-red brick walls and light brown carpet went well together and Piper was impressed. Her apartment was tidy, and everything matched. This was quite an improvement for Alex.

Alex returned to the couch with a coffee in one hand, and a glass of scotch in the other.

"This is weird. Usually I'm the one with a drink in my hand." She laughed, sitting cross-legged on the couch.

"Why aren't you drinking?" Piper asked, taking a sip and wincing slightly at the after taste.

"I have to go out later, as reckless as you may think I am, I don't drink and drive."

Piper watched Alex for a moment or two, and Alex thought about telling her she had a daughter. How would she react? Why did she even care how she reacted? This was Alex's life, and she was going to find out sooner or later.

"Your place is nice." Piper spoke.

"Hey, it's not exactly the Hampton's but it'll do. It's enough for me, I like it."

"So, what's your life like now?" Piper questioned, turning her body to face Alex.

"Different." She laughed. "So different. Do you remember Red? I work for her now. Who would've thought. I left Kubra and his people, I couldn't live like that anymore. It was constant running back and forth between countries and I just couldn't do it. I had no time for myself, it was all about the drugs. It was killing me. Literally. But once I left, my life turned around. I lived with Nicky for a while until I could get back on my feet. Hey, she's married to Lorna now!"

"Really?" Piper asked. She was so happy for the two of them. When her and Alex were dating, Nicky was still trying to get Lorna to leave her fiancé. It was so obvious that they would end up together, and Nicky was madly in love with her. "God I remember those days like it was yesterday! I'm so happy they ended up together."

"Me too, me too. I never imagined that it would happen, but I'm glad it did. So, what about you? How's your life been?"

"Oh you know." Piper said, making herself comfortable on the chair. "I guess it's been...'normal' to say the least." Alex was unsure whether Piper was making a dig at the fact a 'normal' life doesn't include working for an International Drug Cartel.

"Polly and I have a business together. Do you remember when we had plans for that?"

Alex thought for a moment. "Oh yeah, Polly. How's she doing these days?" She asked, a sarcastic tone in her voice.

Piper laughed, knowing that Alex didn't really give a shit about Polly. "Our business is doing well, I'm enjoying it. I met Larry about a year and a half after we broke up. We were together for 5 years before we got married. Up until then everything was great, but then something in him changed. I don't know what it was, but he just started becoming increasingly angry and the more I tried to help him, the worse he got. He always had a short temper but nothing compared to how he is now. Maybe if I'd been more understanding.."

"Don't." Alex said, grabbing Pipers hand and squeezing it. "Don't do that. Don't say this is your fault, because it isn't. Even if you did do something to make him angry, that doesn't mean he has the right to hurt you. No one has the right to hurt you." She gave her a reassuring smile and kept hold of her hand.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Piper asked, looking down at their hands that were joined together. "I don't deserve it."

"I care about you."

"I broke your heart, Alex. I broke your heart and now you're the one taking care of me."

The sadness in Pipers voice overwhelmed Alex. She didn't ever believe for one second that Piper wanted to hurt her intentionally, but It was only now that she realised how sorry she truly was. Alex set her coffee down on the table and scooted closer to Piper, holding both of her hands this time.

"Piper I care about you. I always will. You hurt me, and I know how sorry you are for doing that. But it was 10 years ago, and neither of us can change what happened. I forgive you, I know you had to leave. I know I couldn't look after you in the way that you deserved. As much as it hurt, I don't blame you for leaving."

The blonde lowered her head and rested it against the back of the couch. Not knowing what to do, Alex let go of Pipers hands and picked up her coffee again, taking a mouthful.

"Hey, look at me." Alex said once she had put her coffee down on the table.

Piper looked up, waiting for what Alex was going to say.

"Don't worry about it. I know you're thinking about it right now, but I'm over it. We're okay."

They both smiled at each other and for the first time in a long time, Alex felt as though everything was going to be okay.

"I'm sorry if this comes across as weird Alex, but can I ask you a question?" Alex nodded. "Earlier when we were on the phone. I don't know if I was just making it up or if it really happened, but I swore I heard someone call you mommy."

* * *

_**(A/U)- **Sorry if i've rushed the part where Piper asks about Kenzi, but I just feel like once I get past this point, the story will progress a lot more! Thanks for your comments and keep them coming!_


	6. Chapter 6

Alex's heart dropped. Her hands became sweaty and she felt as though she couldn't breathe. She was going to tell Piper, of course she would have to tell her eventually. But she never expected that the blonde might have already suspected something.

"I have a daughter." She blurted out, knowing that she was going to have to tell the truth now.

Piper didn't know how to react. She had a daughter? _Alex Vause_ had a daughter? She had to be kidding, right?

"_You_ have a daughter?" Piper asked once more.

Alex raised her eyebrow at Pipers emphasis on the 'you'. "Yes, I have a daughter. I know, it sounds weird to say doesn't it?"

Piper laughed nervously. Wait, did this mean that Alex had been in a relationship with a man? Not that it was any of her business, but it just seemed so unlike Alex. Or maybe she had adopted? Maybe she had been in a relationship with a woman who had a child? Either way, she was desperate to find out.

"So..how? I mean, did you..have you..." She was trying to ask if Alex had slept with a man without making it obvious, but what came out of her mouth was nothing less than nonsense.

"Cat got your tongue?" Alex laughed. "I know what you're thinking, and no. I didn't sleep with a man, but she is biologically mine. Wow, that still sounds incredibly weird, right? I suppose you're probably wondering why.."

Piper looked at her, nodding her head.

"I was in what you could call a 'serious' relationship with a girl named Chrissy. We met about 5 years after you and I broke up. I loved her and I thought that she loved me. It was like a turning point in my life. I had just left the drug ring and I was recovering from drugs. She made everything feel better and she was there to help me through it all. I will admit that everything moved too fast, but she told me that she wanted children and I thought that maybe it would be a good idea. I didn't want to go back to the life I used to live and I thought that having her around and a kid would stop me from going there again. Anyways, she found out that she couldn't have children and so I agreed to do it for her. But the whole thing was a joke, Kubra had set her up to come after me. He wanted a way of fucking my life up because I left him and his shitty business. I don't know where either of them are these days. And I hope I never fucking see any of them again."

She hadn't talked about it for a long time. And reliving it all over again made her sad. She had loved Chrissy, maybe not as much as she loved Piper, but the feelings were still there. There was a lot more to the story than what Alex had told Piper, but she knew that now wasn't a good time. It was too soon and she didn't want to drag the blonde back into her life of lies. Maybe one day, there would be a good time to tell her. But not now.

"Oh Alex, I'm so sorry." Piper whispered. She took Alex's hand and rubbed it gently with her thumb. A wave of calmness washed over her as Piper's hand touched her own.

"Hey, it's fine. I guess it upset me at the time, but Kenzi was the best thing that ever happened to me. I got clean and I haven't looked back since. No more getting ridiculously drunk, no more drugs, no more women in my bed that I don't even know the names of."

Piper tried to hide her smile when she heard Alex talk about her daughter. She was happy for her, and it seemed as though she had turned her life around. She worried how Alex would cope on her own when they had broken up. Piper knew how broken she was and she had feared that it might have tipped her over the edge.

"Kenzi." Piper spoke. "That's a beautiful name."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." Alex replied proudly.

"How old is she?" Piper readjusted her position on the couch so that her body was now touching Alex's.

"3. She'll be turning 4 in a couple of months. Although if you met her, you'd probably guess she was about 40. She can talk for hours." Both of them laughed and Piper squeezed Alex's hand to get her attention.

"Can I meet her?"

Alex was taken back by how eager Piper was. Why did she want to meet her? Did she even care that she had a daughter?

"Are you sure? I know you're being nice to me but you don't have to if you.."

"I want to meet her." Piper interrupted her, smiling as the words left her mouth.

"Red is looking after her while I went out. But, you can come with me to pick her up if you like?"

"I'd like that. I'm kinda excited to meet a 'mini Vause'. Is she as stubborn as you?" Piper laughed.

Alex smacked her lightly on the arm. "I am not stubborn, I'm just opinionated okay. She's probably excited to meet you too. She wanted to come with me to see you but I told her that maybe one day she could meet you."

"Well then I hope she likes me."

The pair of them got up and put on their jackets. Alex put their glasses in the kitchen and they headed for the door.

"Of course she'll like you, who wouldn't?" Alex responded, putting her hand on the bottom of Pipers back, gently pushing her through the door of her apartment.

When they arrived at Reds, Piper decided to stay in the car. She wanted to see Red again, but she thought it would be best if she left it for another day. Everything was happening so fast. Alex had been gone just over 10 minutes when Piper felt her heart beginning to race. It still hadn't sunk in that Alex was a mother. They'd never spoken properly about having children because Piper knew Alex was against the idea, but she'd always hoped that they'd have kids one day if they were still together.

Piper saw the door of Reds café open, and Alex appeared with the a little girl balanced on her hip and a bag on her other shoulder. _Her little girl._ She watched Red kiss the top of the toddlers head and then they made their way over to the car. When they got closer, she realised that the little girl was sleeping. Her hair was dark, just like Alex's and it had fallen over her face as her little head rested on Alex's shoulder. The car door opened and Alex put Kenzi into the car seat and strapped her in, being careful that she didn't wake her up.

"She's sleeping." Alex said, getting into the car and closing the door quietly behind her. "But she almost always wakes up on the journey home. Do you wanna come back with us?"

Piper thought for a moment, it was just after 9 but Larry had probably already gone to bed. "Yeah, I'd like that."

As they drove, Piper looked into the rear-view mirror to try to catch a glance of the little girl. Now that her hair had been cleared from her face, she could see how much she looked like Alex. Her head was drooped to one side slightly as her thumb rested in her mouth. Her tiny nose was just like her mothers, it was almost overwhelming to see.

"She's gorgeous, Al." Piper said, returning her gaze to Alex as she watched her hands on the steering wheel.

The dark-haired woman laughed, and a huge smile was plastered across her face. She knew exactly how beautiful her daughter was, and she was glad Piper thought so too.

Back at home, Alex gave Piper they key to her apartment.

"Can you open it for me? My hands are full with Kenzi and her stuff."

"Sure." Piper took the key from Alex's hand and their fingers touched for a moment. Trying to hide the redness that was forming on her cheeks, she turned her head towards the door and let the three of them in, closing it once they were all inside.

Kenzi woke instantly as Alex sat down on the couch. It took her a few minutes before she was fully awake and Piper sat beside Alex in awe, watching as the little girl rubbed her eyes and grumbled slightly. When her eyes were open, the first thing she saw was Piper. She seemed a little confused as Piper smiled at her. The little girl looked up at Alex with a 'who is this woman staring at me' look on her face.

"Remember when I told you that mommy was going to meet one of her friends?"

Kenzi nodded.

"This is my friend, Piper."

Before Alex could tell her to say hi, she had wriggled off her knee and found a seat in between both of them.

"My name's Kenzi!" She pointed at herself, smiling proudly at Piper." Alex rolled her eyes and laughed, knowing that it wouldn't take long before her daughter would be talking Piper to death.

"It's nice to meet you, Kenzi." Piper laughed, she could tell instantly that this was Alex's daughter.

Alex whispered something into Kenzi's ear, quiet enough so that Piper couldn't hear. Kenzi crawled on to Pipers knee and wrapped her arms tightly around her neck. Piper was a little taken back but it didn't take her long before she was hugging the little girl back.

"You smell nice." Kenzi exclaimed, sitting herself down on Piper's knee.

Alex pinched her daughters face and got up from the couch, making her way into the kitchen.

"Do you want something to drink, Piper?"

"No, no. I'm good thanks." Piper replied, unable to get over the fact that the little girl had taken to her so well.

"Kenzi?" Alex called.

"JUICE!" She shouted, kicking her foot on the couch.

Alex watched as Kenzi and Piper formed a bond right in front of her eyes. It was hard enough to believe that Piper was sat on her couch, and she never dreamed that Kenzi would be sat on her knee, babbling away as though she had known her forever.

It didn't take long before Alex realised that everything she wanted and needed in the world was sat only a few feet away from her.


	7. Chapter 7

"Thank's for driving me home, Alex." Piper said as they pulled up outside her house. It had just gone 11:30, and secretly neither of them wanted to leave each other.

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad I saw you today, it was nice to see you." Alex gave Piper a genuine smile.

"You know, tonight was the first good time I've had in a while, and I mean that."

They both smiled at each other, neither one of them knowing what to do next. Did they hug? Did Alex kiss her cheek? Neither of them knew.

"Maybe we could do it again sometime, if you want to."

"I'd like that." Piper said.

"Kenzi say goodbye to Piper, it's time for her to go."

Kenzi sat in the back of the car, a frown on her face. "I don't want her to go." She said. She had enjoyed having Piper to play with. It wasn't very often that she got to meet someone completely new.

Piper turned around and put her hand on Kenzi's leg. "I don't want to leave either, but I have to go home. I promise we'll see each other again soon. You gotta remember to be good for your mom too, right?"

The little girl nodded furiously, taking in every word that Piper was saying to her. Alex watched in awe as Kenzi believed everything that the blonde was saying. It reminded her of a younger version of herself, where Piper could tell her anything and she would listen. Piper had this 'hold' on her, and as much as she tried to fight it, she couldn't be released from her grip.

"I'll see you again soon. Thank you for tonight." Piper got out of the car and and Alex watched as she made her way up towards the house.

"I like her." Kenzi shouted.

"Me to kid." Alex replied, pulling away from the sidewalk.

Piper crept into the house and made her way up the stairs. All the lights were off, which meant that Larry would be in bed asleep. After tonight, she wished that she didn't have to go home. She was tired of putting on a brave face and she was tired of dealing with Larry. It had gone on for too long.

Going into the bedroom, she quietly took off her clothes and hung them in the wardrobe. She picked a tank top and a pair of pyjama shorts from the drawer and put them on, then she went over to the bed and lifted the cover, climbing inside.

"How'd it go?" Larry asked, rolling over when he felt Pipers weight in the bed next to him.

Piper jumped. "Shit, Larry. I thought you were sleeping."

"I couldn't sleep until I knew you were home."

"It was good." Piper sighed, disappointed at the fact she'd had to leave Alex and Kenzi.

Larry kissed the blondes shoulder and put his hand on her stomach. His hands were cold, and rough. All she could think about was Alex. Her hands were soft and warm, very unlike Larry's. She turned her head to the side and faced away from him, hoping that if she pretended to be sleepy, he would leave her alone.

_Wrong._

He carried on kissing, moving his hand up and down her toned stomach. She stayed still, praying that he would stop. He began kissing the side of her neck and her cheek, his right hand roaming over her thigh. She thought about telling him she was tired, but it would do no use. She knew she was going to have to have sex with him.

Eventually, he crawled on top of her and began attacking her lips with his own, his hands roaming over her body. She had done this many times before with Larry, but tonight she felt dirty, unclean. His hands wiping away the cleanliness, leaving his mark on her skin. When she felt him tugging at her shorts, she reluctantly lifted her hips so he could take them off, removing her underwear as well as the pyjamas. It took everything she had in her not to cry. She didn't want this, but she didn't want another argument with Larry, and she knew that if she said no, it would most likely end in another dispute. He kissed at her neck, ravaging her, groaning as she parted her legs and he positioned himself in between them.

_Moaning. Larry's moaning. Skin touching. Lips smacking. Sweat dripping. Groaning. Hands roaming. Hips thrusting. __**Moaning. **__Swearing. Touching. __**Larry's moaning. **__Hips thrusting. Shouting. Begging._

_Praying. Hoping. __**Silence. **__rigid. Please. Tears. __**Pipers tears. **__Help. Stop. Praying._

It was over. Larry finished and crawled off Pipers body. Lay beside her, kissing her arm slightly. She turned her head to the side, desperate to hide her tears. She was crying. Larry knew she was crying. He didn't do anything about it. Kissed her goodnight. Told her loved her. That was it.

"Good morning." Larry whispered, wrapping his arms around Pipers waist as she stood in the kitchen making coffee.

"Hi." She muttered, trying to block out that he was there.

"What time are you going to work?" He asked, sitting down at the kitchen counter.

"Polly's opening late so I don't have to be in until 10. Coffee?"

"Please. Hey, I gotta go into town so I could walk with you if you want? It's a nice day out."

"Yeah. Okay." Piper responded, setting the coffee down on the counter for Larry. "Can we have that talk now?"

Larry looked down at the coffee. It was obvious he didn't want to discuss the matter, but he had agreed that he and Piper would talk about what had happened.

"I'm sorry, Pipes." He said. "I don't know what came over me."

She sighed. "You never seem to know what comes over you anymore, Larry. You don't understand how much it hurts me. I come home from work and I don't know if you're going to be in a good mood or a bad one. I have to prepare myself for the fact you may lay your hands on me at any time, and I don't like it. We can't keep going on like this because what if it goes to far? What if one day you can't restrain yourself and you just keep going? That night you put your hands around my neck, I was terrified. I thought you were going to kill me. And that makes my heartbreak, because no one should have to be afraid of their partner."

Larry's hands were gripped tightly around the cup, the veins prominent on the back of his hands. She waited patiently for his response.

"I don't know why I'm like this Piper. I just can't control my temper. I don't want to hurt you, that's the last thing on my mind. But I find it hard to control my anger, I don't know what it is. When I grabbed hold of you, I don't know what came over me. The drink makes me angry. And I wish that whoever pulled me from you hadn't saw it, but it made me realise that I need to change."

Piper scoffed. As much as the drink added to his anger, he didn't need it to be violent. Thoughts of Alex came into her head and she remembered how she had been saved from Larry. How could she ever pay her back? How would he feel if he knew that the friend she had seen last night was the same person who had stopped their argument?

"Oh please, Larry." She said, her voice raised. "It's not the drink that makes you angry. Of course, it adds to the violence but it isn't the only thing to blame. Why are you too afraid to admit that you're in the wrong? Stop blaming other things and accept the fact that you need help!"

Larry jumped up from the table and moved closer to Piper. He grabbed her wrist tightly. "Don't speak to me like that. I'm not a fucking idiot. Don't tell me this is my fault when you don't know whats going on in my head."

She'd had enough. "Get your hands OFF ME." She spat through her teeth, getting up close into his face. Not releasing her from his grip, she tried to run away, pulling as she tried to get closer to the door. He grabbed hold of her other hands and pushed her into the kitchen counter, slapping her hard across the face. She wrestled with him and finally, he let go.

She put her hand on her cheek, trying to cure the burning sensation that was spreading across the left side of her face.

"Piper.." He said, stepping away from her after he realised what he had done.

"Get the fuck away from me." She spat, hurrying towards the stairs.

Larry followed her up the stairs and into the bedroom where she grabbed a bag from the wardrobe and began frantically stuffing clothes into it. She didn't know where she would go, probably to Polly's. And right now she didn't care, she just had to get out of the house. Larry begged her not to leave, he told her that he would get help. But she knew he was lying, this was just his way of getting her to stay.

After getting dressed and packing her bag, she left the house quickly and got into the car. Larry didn't follow her, he knew what he had done was wrong. She pulled out her phone, and for a few minutes her thumb hovered over a name.

**Alex.**

She wanted to call her. _She desperately wanted to call._But it was too soon. She couldn't expect to just walk back into Alex's life so quickly. And instead, she called Polly.

* * *

**(A/U): **I know you guys hate Larry, and I know how much you probably didn't like the sex scene. But I felt that it needed to be put into the story and I tried to keep it as vague as possible without going into detail. What do you guys think? :)


	8. Chapter 8

"I'm so sorry for calling Polly, but I didn't know what else to do." Piper stood on the doorstep of Polly's home, her bags in hand. Polly had told her to come over immediately, and although they were best friends, Piper couldn't help but think that she was getting in the way.

"Don't even think of apologizing for that asshole." Polly said, pulling Piper inside. "Jesus Christ, what did he do this time?" She dragged her into the living room and took her bags from her, setting them down by the kitchen table.

Piper brought her hand up to her cheek, wincing at the burning sensation that was still present on her face. "I told him that we needed to talk about what happened the other night. He said he was totally fine with it but as soon as I brought it up I could tell he was getting angry. 'The drink' was his excuse, but I was tired of taking his shit Poll. So I told him what I thought of him, I told him that alcohol wasn't the only reason he was a violent man. He just cant control his temper, and he won't admit that he's in the wrong."

Piper shut her eyes tightly, trying not to cry as she thought of how he had attacked her. She couldn't believe that it was real.

"He just flipped. I tried to get away from him and he grabbed hold of me and shoved me into the kitchen counter. I told him to get off me Polly but he wouldn't, he just _wouldn't_ let go. And he slapped me across the face as hard as he could, I had to put up a fight before he finally let go of me. He tried to apologize as soon as he let me go but I don't believe him. I don't believe him anymore. When I left to get into the car, he didn't even follow me. He doesn't give a shit about me. What did I do to deserve it? I'm scared of him Polly, so fucking terrified."

Polly held Piper and stroked her hair as she cried quietly. _Larry had broken her._

Alex jumped up, her breathing was heavy and her t shirt was covered in sweat. She'd had another nightmare. The same nightmare she'd been having a lot. Kubra and his men were after her, they had raided her apartment and trashed the place. She had to take Kenzi and run, they had to try and get away from him. And no matter how much she struggled and fought, the ending of the dream was always the same. They caught Alex and took Kenzi away from her.

_Kenzi._

Alex turned around and was relieved to see her little girl in the bed next to her. She was sprawled out and her teddy, Chip was laying on the bed in between Alex and Kenzi. Relieved that her daughter was safe, she got up and went into the kitchen to make herself coffee. It was just after 11 and usually, Kenzi was awake by now. But they hadn't gone to bed until late, and Kenzi had worn herself out playing with Piper. Even when she tried not to think about her, she was still in the back of her mind. She wondered what Piper was doing. Probably at work by now.

Once she'd made coffee, she took it back to the bedroom and sat down on the bed. Kenzi stirred slightly and rolled over, wrapping her arms around the toy. Alex smiled.

She picked up her phone and decided to text Piper.

**'Hey, I know you're probably at work now but I hope you have a nice day. I enjoyed last night, and I hope you did too. Kenzi's worn herself out, can you believe she's still asleep? Call me later if you aren't too busy.'**

Piper's phone buzzed. It was Alex.** 'I hope you have a nice day.' **It was nice to know that Alex was thinking of her, and that she cared. She checked the time on her phone and smiled when she read that Kenzi was still asleep. The poor little girl must have been tired from last night.

She thought about messaging Alex to tell her what had happened, but she stopped herself. She wasn't Alex's problem, and she didn't want to worry her. And besides, she wasn't even sure if they were 'friends'. They hadn't really spoken about the subject much. _God she wanted to see her so badly._

"Piper?" Polly called out.

"In here." She replied.

Polly walked into the living room and chucked her bag down onto the seat by the window.

"Why aren't you at work?" Piper asked.

"I shut the shop for the day. I couldn't leave you here on your own, what if Larry came round? You aren't fit to talk to him, and I don't want him bothering you." She sat down and pulled Piper into a hug.

"You didn't have to do that! I'll be fine as long as I'm here. Even if he did come round, I wouldn't let him in."

Polly pulled away slightly and gave Piper the 'don't bullshit me' look. She knew for a fact that if Larry came round, Piper would cave in and let him into the house.

"What?!" Piper shouted, her voice slightly higher than usual.

"We both know you'd let him in here, you gotta stop falling for his lies Pipes!"

"I know. But I love him."

"I know you do. But you have to stand up for yourself, you can't keep letting him throw you around. What happens if I let you go back to him? He won't change, I know his type. They make promises and don't stick to them - all he cares about is himself. It will be hard for you, and I expect that you already know that. But you have to leave him. This has gone on for too long. Me and Pete are here for you every step of the way, but only you have the power to stand up for yourself."

Piper knew that everything Polly had said was right. Larry had been promising to change for a long time, but so far he hadn't done anything about it. She didn't want a violent relationship, she wanted someone who she could tell everything to without living in fear of being hurt and thrown around like a doll. Right now, she didn't even have the strength to think about him, let alone think of what she could say to end their relationship.

* * *

It was late the next night when Piper realised that she needed Alex. This whole thing with Larry was tearing her apart. He had been at the house all morning, banging on the door and shouting at her through the letterbox. Piper was terrified, he was like an animal. There was no stopping him. She had hid upstairs in Finn's room, and waited until Larry left. Telling Polly to go back to work was a decision she had regretted greatly.

"Alex?" Piper whispered into her phone, trying to wipe away her tears with her other hand." The corner of her eyes were red and raw from crying.

"Piper? And you okay? It's 3am. What's going on?" Alex's voice was even deeper than usual, and Piper instantly felt bad for wakening her.

Shit. Piper had spent so much time crying that she hadn't realised how late it actually was.

"I need you Alex. I need to see you."

"Pipes..are you crying?"

Piper had gone for a walk, she needed some air. But thoughts of Larry had swallowed her and she was finding herself unable to breathe properly from the panic attack she was having. There was no other option but to call Alex, she was the only person who could calm her down.

"Where are you? Are you at home?" Alex asked her.

"I..I'm on the Brooklyn Waterfront."

"Fuck, what are you doing Piper? It's the middle of the night. Stay there, I'm coming to find you."

She hung up and pulled her knees close to her chest as she sat on the bench. Piper wanted to be strong, but she had caved. She caved whenever Alex was around. It was cold, and the only thing Piper could see in front of her was her breath. She didn't even remember leaving the house, it was as though she had just appeared out here in the city. Her head was filled with Larry, and all of the things he had done to her. From the times when he had hurt her to the previous night when they'd had sex. She was disgusted with herself. Why had she gave herself to him? It wasn't what she wanted, the thoughts of his hands on her body repulsed her.

She felt sick. His fingerprints remained on her skin, it made her cringe. She got to her feet and threw up on the grass behind her. Her throat burned and the taste in her mouth made her sick again. What was happening to her? Larry was ruining her.

"Piper?" A voice called out.

Piper lifted her head and saw a figure hurrying towards her. It was Alex.

"What's wrong? Piper?" She was worried.

Alex pulled Piper into her arms and held her tightly. As soon as she felt Alex's touch, she broke down and began to cry. Alex's hand rested on the back of Pipers head, the other on the bottom of her back.

"Shh. Hey, don't cry. Tell me what's wrong. I'm here, nobodys gonna hurt you."

Alex's scent was calming and the warmth of her body made her feel like she was home again. Everything that came out of Pipers mouth made no sense and the crying made it hard for her to talk. If this was Larry she was talking to, he would've got angry and demanded that she talk to him. But not Alex. Alex didn't say a word, she stayed quiet. And she held onto Piper tightly, fearing that she would disappear if she was to let go.


	9. Chapter 9

"Stay here. I'll be back in 2 minutes." Alex pulled up and got out of the car. It was dark, but Piper could just about make out the houses that were to either side of her. She hadn't been here before and she wondered where they were. They definitely weren't at Alex's place.

On the way here she cried silently in the car and Alex hadn't spoken to her. Was she angry for getting her up so late? It was 3:15 in the morning, she knew how much Alex hated being woken up. _Shit_. She thought to herself.

When she returned to the car, she had a sleeping Kenzi in her arms. Piper slumped back into her seat as she saw the two of them together. Like usual, she buckled her into the backseat and then got back behind the wheel.

"I brought her to Nicky's when you called, I didn't know if bringing her would be the best idea."

Piper looked into the rear view mirror just like she had done last time, and watched the sleeping child in the back of the car. Seeing Alex and Kenzi had calmed her down a little, and she was beginning to feel a bit better.

"Take a seat, I'll put her into bed and then we can talk."

Piper nodded and watched Alex carry Kenzi to her bedroom. Her head rested on Alex's shoulder, her hair covering her face. When she returned, she sat down on the sofa and looked at Piper for a moment.

The look she gave was warm and inviting, it seemed as though she was trying to read Piper's mind. It was dark, but there was enough light in the room so that they could see each other. Before the blonde could say anything, Alex pulled Piper into her arms and held her tightly.

"Pipes.." She whispered.

Instead of responding, Piper held on tighter. Alex continued to hold her. Whatever had happened, had really messed Piper up. She was acting like a child that didn't want to be separated from her mother. Much like Kenzi when she didn't want Alex to leave.

"I left him." Piper mumbled, her face buried in Alex's shoulder.

"What?" Alex replied. Sure, she had heard what Piper had said. But she wanted her to repeat it to make sure.

"Larry, I left him."

Alex's heartbeat increased. As much as it hurt to see Piper so upset, she was happy that they had broken up. Did that make her a bad person?

"Piper, what happened?"

She pulled away slightly, but kept hold of Alex's hands.

"I couldn't take it anymore, I couldn't take anymore of the violence and the arguments. He hit me across the face, yesterday morning. One minute we were talking about him getting help and the next minute he has me pinned up against the kitchen counter with his hand wrapped around my wrist. He wouldn't let me go, I've seen him angry before but I've never seen him look like that. It didn't even look like Larry, there was so much hatred in his eyes. I took some thing's to Polly's house and this morning he came round and demanded to see me. I thought he was going to knock the door down, he was shouting at me telling me that he wasn't going to leave until I opened up. I was so scared." She was crying once again, but she managed to continue.

"All I've ever wanted was to be happy, I thought I had a real shot at being happy with him. We planned so much and everything was going great. But after we got married everything just changed. I know I've told you this before but It's eating away at me and I can't take it anymore. I just feel like.." She lowered her head. "I feel like this is all my fault. Maybe if things had been different.."

Alex stopped her. She couldn't bare hearing Piper talk about herself like this.

"Stop it. You need to stop this. It's not your fault Piper. You can't keep telling yourself that this is because of you. His actions aren't a result of anything you've done, HE is the problem."

"Then why does it feel like I'm the one to blame?"

"Why would this be your fault? What could you possibly have done to make him act to violent towards you?"

There was a pause. Alex knew that Piper had something to say, but she wasn't going to get it out of her so easily.

"-Just before he started being violent I found out that I was pregnant. Children were always in my future and when I tried discussing it with Larry, he just shrugged off the idea and told me that we had plenty of time. When he came home from work one day I knew it was time to tell him, I had known for weeks and obviously I was going to have to say something eventually. I made him dinner, thinking that we could discuss it once we had ate. When I told him, he thought I was joking. He didn't believe that it could've been his. He accused me of cheating and I tried to make him believe me, but he wasn't having any of it. He told me he was going to the pub and I tried stopping him, but he pushed me out of the way and knocked me over."

Piper had stopped talking, but Alex knew what had happened next. She scrunched her eyes up tightly trying to push the images from her head.

"Pipes..I'm sorry." She hugged her and this time, she pulled her on to her lap and held her tightly. She was unsure whether this was a good idea, but she did it anyway and Piper didn't seem to mind.

The younger woman sobbed quietly into Alex's t-shirt and Alex rubbed her back gently. "Why don't you sleep for a while? You'll feel better in the morning. You can stay here, theres no way you're going anywhere without me, especially at this time of night."

"I can't stay here. Alex that's not fair on you." _Typical stubborn Piper._

Alex wiped a tear away from Piper's cheek. "Of course you can stay here. There's only me and Kenzi, you wouldn't be intruding. If I didn't want you to stay, I wouldn't have asked. You can take my bed, I just want to make sure you're safe."

As much as she wanted to hold Piper and keep her safe, she knew that sleeping on the couch would be the best idea. She didn't want Piper thinking that she was trying to push her into anything.

"Thank you."

She showed Piper into her bedroom and gave her a t-shirt that she could sleep in. She turned around and faced the door while Piper got changed, sneaking a peak when Piper wasn't looking. Alex had to stop her jaw from hitting the floor. Piper was stood in her underwear, with the shirt just over her head. It was dark in the room but Alex could see that she had curves in all the right places, and she hadn't changed at all in 10 years. If anything, she was even more beautiful now. Before she was caught, she turned back around and continued to face the wall.

When she had dressed, Piper cleared her throat, letting Alex know that it was safe to turn around. She sat down on the bed and Alex sat down on the other side.

"I'm sorry for calling. I didn't know what else to do. I had a million and one things in my head and I felt like I was drowning. I had to call you...You're the only one who makes me feel safe." Her voice turned into a whisper.

"I'm glad you called. I don't know what I'd do if I'd have known you were outside all alone. I want you here, Piper. I want you here more than anything. Don't ever think that you're a burden to me, because you aren't. Now get some sleep okay, I'm just outside if you need me."

She leant over and kissed Piper on the forehead. "Goodnight."

Piper got underneath the covers and watched Alex make her way to the door. Just before she left, Alex heard Piper call her name again.

"Alex? Sleep with me."

She turned around and stood still. Had she heard that right? What was she supposed to say? "Piper..I don't think.."

"Please? I don't want to be left on my own. I want you here with me."

Agreeing, Alex made her way back to the bed, un-buckling her belt as she went. She pulled off her trousers and threw them on to the floor beside her. The bed was cold when she got in, but the heat from Piper's body was enough to keep her warm. She lay on her back with her arm wrapped around Piper as the blonde's head rested on her chest. When they had travelled the world, they spent countless days in bed like this. Alex would make up stories and Piper would listen, taking in everything she had to say.

"You know I'll always be here for you if you need me. Don't ever forget that."

"You've done so much for me already and you've already been back in my life for 3 days. As selfish as this sounds, I'm glad I found you when I did. I wouldn't have been able to survive today without you." She could feel the vibrations from Piper's voice in her chest. What did she mean, she wouldn't have been able to survive? What exactly would she have done? Alex couldn't bare to think about it and instead, she closed her eyes.

"Why are you being so nice to me Alex?" When Piper had asked the other day, she was surprised to hear that Alex cared about her. But she still couldn't bring herself to believe her. After everything that happened, Alex had a right to hate her.

"Because." Alex spoke softly.

"Because I love you."

A weight was lifted from Alex's chest, and when she opened her eyes she realised that Piper was staring up at her. Neither of them said anything, but Piper was trying to take in what Alex had just said.

Lifting her head from the pillow, she leant forward so that her face was only inches from Piper's. Copying Alex's movement, Piper moved forward and pressed her lip's onto that of the slightly older woman.

_And at that moment, everything in the world was right._

* * *

**[A/U:] **I know the past few chapters have been dark, but I feel as though Piper and Alex need to get all of the hard stuff out of the way before then can move on and rebuilt their lifes. I promise it WILL get happier! Thank you for all the support! x


	10. Chapter 10

Piper's phone shook violently on the bedside table. Jumping up from her sleep, she felt around on the table for the phone and picked it up.

"Where the hell are you?" Polly's voice bellowed down the phone.

_Fuck, _Piper thought to herself. She'd totally forgotten to let Polly know where she was.

"I'm..I'm at a friend's house." She groaned, still half asleep.

"Which friend? Piper I thought Larry had fucking kidnapped you or something." Worry was present in her voice, and Piper realised that she had scared her.

"I'm at Alex's." She said. Now was the perfect opportunity to tell Polly. She didn't feel comfortable telling her face to face, but she would find out sooner or later.

"_Alex?_" Polly questioned.

Alex could hear Polly on the phone and she sat up next to Piper as she heard her name brought into conversation. She put her hand on Piper's back for comfort and rested her chin on her shoulder.

"Yeah. I'm safe okay Poll. I just had to get out for fresh air. I'll talk tomorrow. I love you okay."

She hung up before Polly had time to reply. Piper set the phone back down onto the table and threw herself back into the bed.

"Sorry for wakening you." She said, turning her head to face Alex. It was just beginning to get light outside, and she could just about make out Alex's face. Even with bed hair and no makeup, she was beautiful.

"Don't worry about it. You've already woken me up once tonight." Alex joked.

Piper hid her face in her hands and groaned. She knew Alex was joking, but she still felt guilty for waking her up. Alex lay beside her and held onto her hands, pulling them away from her face.

"I'm kidding Pipes. We have plenty of time for sleep, don't worry yourself."

Piper moved closer into Alex until their bodies were touching. She stared at Alex and once her eyes had adjusted, she looked up into Alex's eyes and realised she was staring back. Alex brought her hand up to Piper's arm and stroked it gently, sending a shiver throughout Piper's whole body.

"I missed you." Piper whispered, her breath hot on Alex's lips.

"I missed you too." Alex replied, rubbing her arm for reassurance. Feeling Piper's breath on her face made her heart beat like crazy.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Are you still mad at me? Do you still hate me?"

Alex inhaled sharply. "It was 10 years ago Piper. Sure I held a grudge for a while, but I didn't hate you. I could never hate you."

"I thought about you every single day after I left you. Each time you came into my mind, all I saw was you sat on the bed, the tears on your face." Piper brushed her thumb across Alex's face as though she were wiping away the tears.

***Flashback***

"Are you off the phone now?" Piper ran into the bedroom.

"It wasn't in the bathroom either." She rummaged through the drawers that were filled with both of their clothing.

She looked at Alex who was sat on the edge of the bed. "Did you look at all while I was out?"

"Alex..I understand you're upset but could you at least acknowledge I'm a person who's speaking?" She was growing increasingly frustrated with Alex who was still sat on the edge of the bed, her mouth tightly closed.

"If I miss this flight I'm screwed." She continued to search through the drawers.

"ALEX! PASSPORT?" She looked at the older woman. "Hello?"

"My mom died." Alex choked, staring at the wall in front of her.

"What?" Piper moved closer to her, realising that Alex was crying.

"My aunt just called..it happened this morning I guess."

Piper sat down next to her and put her hand on her thigh. "Oh Alex..oh I'm so sorry." She pulled her in and hugged her tightly, stroking her hair gently.

"My first instinct was to call her to talk about it."

"What happened?" Piper pulled back and looked at Alex, her voice nothing more than a whisper.

"An aneurism?" Alex shook her head slightly, confused and upset. "I don't know, my aunt said so many things I don't even remember now."

"What can I do?"

"I don't know, I mean I need to fly home..I need to figure out the funeral because there's no one else to do it." Alex stood up and began packing her things.

"Okay."

"Will you see if you can find us two seats out on a flight today?" Alex's voice cracked as she spoke, desperation in her eyes.

Piper paused.

"Al I can't go with you."

"What?"

"I'm so sorry about your mom….but this doesn't change anything."

Alex looked at Piper, tears welling up in her eyes. She was sad, heartbroken. She couldn't believe that Piper was refusing to go with her.

"You're still leaving? Right now? My mother just died."

Piper shifted uncomfortably in her place. She hated seeing Alex like this, but she still have to leave.

"I can't fucking believe you."

"I can't be your girlfriend anymore." Piper spoke.

"Yeah and apparently not even my friend. Top drawer underneath my t-shirts."

_The passport._ Piper realised what she was talking about.

"Jesus Alex, you fucking hid it?"

"Please don't leave." Alex begged.

***End flashback***

It was then that Piper realised how much of a selfish bitch she had been. She had played the scenario over and over in her head over the years but now that she was back with Alex, she truly realised how much she had broken her.

Before Alex could reply, Piper sat up and pulled the dark haired woman with her. She pulled her into her arms and held on tightly.

"I'm so sorry Alex. I'm so sorry."

Alex's arms wrapped around Piper's waist and she buried her face into the crook of Piper's neck. She had missed the sweet scent of her ex-girlfriend.

"I never thought I'd see you again." Alex whispered.

Hearing Alex's words made Piper hold onto her even tighter. Suddenly, Alex wasn't a tough, badass woman who could fend for herself. She was weak, tired, _broken_.

"I'll never leave you again. I promise I'm not going anywhere."

The two of them were crying, they were tired of fighting. Tired of running away, they needed each other.

Alex kissed Piper's neck gently, waiting for some sort of signal that she was okay with it. She kissed from her jaw down to her collarbone and she felt Piper tip her head back a little, granting her the access that she wanted.

A tiny moan escaped from Piper's lips as Alex nibbled on her weak spot. The small noise made Alex feel faint, it was crazy how little could turn her on. Piper's hands roamed over Alex's back, her hands pulling her in closer. Their bodies were already touching, but Piper knew she needed more. The only thing stopping their bodies from being completely together was the fabric of their clothes. _And she needed them gone._

She pulled Alex's hair roughly and almost cried when her lips became detached from her neck. She straddled Alex's legs and crashed their lips together, her tongue begging for access instantly. As if she had read her mind, Alex parted her lips slightly and let Piper's tongue fight with her own. They tugged at each other's clothing and it wasn't long before their shirts were tossed carelessly onto the floor. Alex flipped her over so that she was now on top of Piper. Piper loved seeing Alex is charge, it was sexy_. And oh my god, it really turned her on._

"Lift up a little." Alex whispered, fighting with the clasp on Piper's bra.

She did as she was told and arched her back slightly, allowing Alex's hands to undo metal hook on her bra. As soon as it was off, she tossed it onto the floor with the rest of their clothes. Alex's mouth dropped from Piper's lips to her collarbone. _Then her chest. Then her breasts. _Piper moaned loudly as Alex's tongue flicked over her nipple, her hand massaging her other breast.

Alex smirked, fully aware of what she was doing to Piper. She knew that this turned her on, and she was desperate to see how far she could push her. Her right hand trailed down Piper's body, stopping at the waistband of her panties.

She knew this would tease Piper, and she groaned when she felt Alex's hand retreat. Grabbing Alex's hand with her own, she pushed her back down, demanding to be touched.

"Easy there." Alex laughed, kissing her fiercely.

"Do not do this to me. Not now." Piper moaned in between kisses.

"Do what?" Alex asked, cocking her eyebrow.

"You know what."

" . .What?" Alex whispered, kissing her neck.

"Al please." She begged.

"Tell me what you want."

"Touch me. Fuck Alex, please. I need to feel you."

Hearing Piper talk dirty made Alex weak at the knee's. Piper was usually quite reserved, but in the bedroom she was a whole different person. She touched Piper through the material of her panties, and she knew how turned on she already was.

"Some one's happy to see me." She teased, dragging her finger up Piper's clit, still on top of her underwear.

Piper wriggled underneath her, the suspension was killing her.

"Please." She begged.

Obeying Piper's orders, Alex began pulling her underwear down her thighs. Just as she was about to give in, Piper stopped her, putting her finger on Alex's lips. She gave her a confused look, wondering what the hell she was doing.

"Pip.."

"Shh!" She said, cutting her off.

"What?" Alex whispered.

Piper listened carefully. "Kenzi's crying. Can you hear her? You have to go and see what's wrong with her." It was cute that she was so concerned about the little girl.

Alex rolled off Piper and began to climb out of the bed. She couldn't believe they had been interrupted. She looked at the clock. What was Kenzi doing up at 5am?!

Just before she got up, Piper stopped her. "Let me go and get her. I woke you up – it's only fair that you get to rest."

"I don't mind..honestl…"

"Al It's fine. She likes me, she knows who I am. I want to.."

She picked up her t-shirt from the floor and threw it on before exiting the room to go and check on Kenzi.

Alex grabbed the other t-shirt and put it on. She got back into the bed and lay down, her eyes locked on the door. Her heart was still racing from the foreplay they had engaged in only a few minutes ago, and she was disappointed that it had been cut short.

A few minutes later, she could hear Piper's footsteps on the floor, and then she appeared in the doorway with the little girl in her arms. Alex smiled. She had saw the two of them together before, but the way she clung to Piper's neck made her heart swell.

"Nightmare. She didn't want to sleep alone." Piper whispered, rubbing the little girls back for comfort.

Alex gave in and motioned the two of them to get into bed. How could she say no to the two most important girls in her life?


	11. Chapter 11

"Why are you here?" Kenzi asked, squeezing herself in between Alex and Piper.

"Kenzi!" Alex shouted. "Don't be rude."

She covered her mouth and looked at Piper who was trying not to laugh at the little girl.

"Are you here for a sleepover?!" She asked, bouncing on the mattress.

Piper chuckled. "That's exactly why I'm here."

Kenzi lay down and threw herself on to Piper, snuggling in. Piper was still surprised at how well she had taken to her already. She turned her head to the side and looked at Alex. They smiled at each other and Alex patted the little girl's head.

"MOMMYY!" Alex could feel two tiny hands pushing her shoulder. She groaned and reached for the clock.

"7am Kenzi. It's 7am!"

"But I'm not tired!"

Alex knew there was no reasoning with the little girl.

"C'mon Kenz, please go back to sleep. You don't wanna wake Piper up do you?

"Piper's already awake." Piper's voice was croaky and Alex knew she was still half asleep.

"Now you've woken Piper up too. Just another hour Kenzi, please."

Kenzi stuck out her bottom lip and continued to stare Alex out. Piper sat up and rubbed her eyes, and greeted by two tiny arms around her neck.

"Good morning to you too." She laughed, laying back down slightly so that Kenzi was now laid on top of her.

"See mommy, Pippy's s not grumpy!"

"You're mom's always grumpy." She and Kenzi giggled and Alex shook her head, pretending to look hurt.

"Hey I'm only kidding." She reached out and squeezed Alex's hand.

Before Alex could reply, Piper's phone buzzed on the side table. She reached over and grabbed it, looking at the screen. Piper's heart was in her mouth. _It was Larry. _Panicking, she flicked the button the side of her iPhone, turning it into silent mode and putting it back down. Both Alex and Kenzi were looking at the blonde, waiting for her to answer the phone.

"Wrong number." She said, smiling at the two of them.

Alex knew by the tone of her voice that something was wrong, but she let it go and got up to make some breakfast, leaving her daughter and Piper in her bed. It all seemed so surreal, a couple of days ago she had been fine getting on with her own life. She had her daughter and that was all that she needed. But now, Piper was in her house, _in her bed_ with her daughter.

"Jesus fucking Christ, what do you want? Do you know what time it is?"

"Good morning to you too, asshole. Are you free to talk?" Alex knew that it was risky wakening Nicky up at this time, but she needed someone to talk to.

"Well I guess. Hey wait a second…let me get out of the bedroom before Lorna kicks me out."

There was a pause while she left the room, and then she spoke again.

"Okay, shoot. And this better be good."

Alex hesitated a little. "You know how I told you about meeting Piper the other day?" She had to keep her voice quiet to make sure she wasn't heard.

"What's she done now?"

"It's not exactly what _she's _done as such. She's in my bedroom Nicky."

"Holy shit, what the fuck?! Did you fuck her?"

"God no!" Alex shouted, kicking herself when she realised how loud she was. "No I didn't. Stop being so fucking vulgar."

"So why are you calling to tell me?"

"She called last night and she was in such a state. Her husband threatened her again and she didn't know where to go. So I went to pick her up and I told her she could stay with me. It all happened so fast, this time last week I didn't even know where the fuck she was. Now she's lying in my bed with my daughter."

Nicky laughed. "Fuck Vause, you're gonna get attached again."

Alex sighed. Nicky was right. "I know. That's why I'm so fucking stressed. She kissed me last night. Fuck, she's still married. What if she chooses that asshole?!"

"Shit. Look I gotta go but If you wanna talk then feel free to come round to the house sometime. Catch ya later."

* * *

After hanging up the phone, Alex took some food into the bedroom for the three of them to eat. Kenzi was sat in between the two women and after every few bites of her food she would look at Piper and then at Alex, wondering what was really going on between the two of them.

"Pippy." She said, shifting her body towards Piper.

Piper smiled at the pronunciation of her name. "Yeah?"

"Do you have a girlfwend?"

Alex almost choked on her food. "Kenzi! Stop asking so many questions."

"No, no it's okay." Piper reassured her. "No, I don't have a girlfriend."

"Oh…Why not? Mommy had a girlfriend."

Alex put down her plate and lifted the little girl on to her lap. "That's enough okay. Why don't you go and play with your toys while I talk to Piper?"

The little girl nodded and Alex lifted the her on to the floor. She made her way out of the room, a little unsteady on her feet.

"I'm sorry about that…"

"It's fine." Piper laughed. "She's cute."

"I don't know where she gets all these questions from. She just comes out with them."

"Kids are curious, you just gotta let them get on with it."

Piper's phone lit up in her lap again. She'd already had 9 missed calls off Larry since the first one. Sighing, she put the phone screen down on the duvet and rubbed her forehead. She knew that he was probably out looking for her, and Polly would probably have told him that she hadn't gone home last night. He would accuse her of cheating, like he had done countless times before, she knew him like the back of her hand. Only this time, his accusations would kind of be correct. She had kissed Alex last night, there was no doubt about that. _She _had been the one to kiss Alex. Usually, it would be the other way round, but something had come over her and it just felt so so right.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Y..yeah. Wrong number."

"Piper don't lie to me okay. I know you, I know when something's wrong. Is it him? Is he bothering you?"

Piper paused. She knew she couldn't lie to Alex for long.

"It's him. This is the 10th time he's called me since I got up. What if he knows I didn't stay with Polly last night? He's probably out looking for me."

"Relax. He's not gonna find you here. Polly doesn't know where I live so there's no way he's gonna trace you back here. You're safe okay."

"You don't know him like I do. He'll find me if he wants to, I know it."

Piper was beginning to scare Alex. Who exactly was this 'Larry' dude that she was married to? Alex didn't know him at all, but she could tell that he was a very dangerous man. He was a wife beater, an abuser. And he had to be stopped. She couldn't bear to see Piper so upset. She didn't deserve everything that she had been through.

Alex put her arm around Piper.

"Answer the phone the next time he calls. You'll never know what he wants if you don't answer the call. And if he gets too much for you, hang up. Or let me speak to him."

Within the next 10 minutes, the phone had rung again. She was nervous and she had no idea what he would say, but she knew she had to face him eventually.

"Hello?"

"Piper I need to see you."

"W..why? We agreed that this was for the best."

"Screw that. I need to see you Pipes. I need to know you're okay." The use of her nickname in his mouth made her want to throw up.

"I'm doing fine."

Larry's voice began to grow louder. "You aren't fine without me! I want you to come home Piper, you will come home!"

Alex could just about hear Larry's voice on the other end of the phone, and she rubbed Piper's back lightly, reassuring her that she was strong enough to stand up to him.

"You can't force me to come home Larry. You lost the right to tell me what to do when you made me fear for my life. Don't you dare treat me like your property, because I am not. You only want me to come home so that you have someone to take your anger out on when you get bored."

"Who do you think you are? I am your husband, and you won't speak to your husband like that. You better come home today or god help me when I find you!"

Piper began to cry as she heard Larry's threats. She still found it hard to believe that the man she married and loved had turned into something so cruel and cold. She looked at Alex, her eyes begging her for help.

Alex took the phone from her hands and put it to her ear.

"Larry?"

"Who the hell is this?"

"This is Alex, Piper's friend. She's staying with me because she's too terrified to live in her best friend's home. Do you know how ill you're making her? She's in fucking bits, and it's all because of you. I found her wandering around in the middle of the night, too fucking scared to go back to Polly's in case you found a way into the house. Does it make you feel big when you're hitting women? Does it make you feel powerful? Because guess what? You aren't big, and you aren't strong. You're a sad fucking excuse for a human being, you don't deserve Piper. You never deserved her. She should have left you the first time you hurt her, but she has a kind heart and that's why she forgave you time and time again."

She heard Larry snigger on the other end of the phone and although she'd never experienced one of his angry bouts, she could tell that she had really pissed him off.

"Don't act like you know her better than I do. Because you're wrong. You don't know me either, so don't speak to me like I'm a fucking child. Keep out of our fucking relationship because you know nothing. She'll come home to me, she always comes back. She loves me, and you'll soon see that."

Before she was tempted to reply, she hung up the phone and put it on her side of the bed, making sure that she would be able to answer it first if he called back. Her heart was racing, she was angry and appalled at how disgusting this man was. How did Piper manage to choose someone so evil.

"Don't cry okay, he can't find us."

Piper pressed her face into Alex's chest, holding on to her t-shirt tightly. "I'm so scared Alex."

"I know Pipes, I know you are. But you're safe with me and Kenzi, no one's going to hurt you. I'll make sure of that. "

"He's gonna find me when I go back to Polly's. Alex he won't leave until he sees me. Maybe I should just go home and keep him happy. At least then he isn't a threat to anyone else."

Alex pulled away and put her hand on the side of Pipers face, wiping away the tears with her thumb.

"Don't you dare feel like you have to go back there. And you must be crazy if you think I'm gonna sit here and let you go back to him. You can stay with me, get your stuff and you can stay here for as long as you like. It's too dangerous for you to stay with Polly. She might be your best friend, but he knows where she lives. At least here he can't find you."

Piper was flattered that Alex was willing to let her stay in her apartment. But they hadn't seen each other in 10 years, could they really pretend that everything was fine between the two of them?


	12. Chapter 12

Piper pulled her jacket around her body as she walked through the streets. It was cold and it was dark. She checked her phone for the time. _7:17pm. _She wasn't too far from the house, but it felt like forever. She had told Alex that she wouldn't be too long, that she was going to meet up with one of her friends from college. Alex had offered a lift but of course, Piper had declined. How could she give away where she was really going? It was raining lightly, and Piper pulled her hood over her head to stop her hair from getting wet. She didn't exactly care about her appearance, but she hated the feeling of wet hair, and who looks good with wet hair anyways?

She made her way up the steps, knocking on the door. It opened, and she was let inside. She didn't bother to remove her jacket, or her shoes. It was cold in here, it didn't feel anything like her home.

"I didn't think you'd come."

"Did I have a choice?" She was tired of tip toeing around; she just wanted this over and done with.

"What do you want?"

"I want you."

She scoffed. Too many lies. She had heard too many lies.

"You aren't a husband, you're a monster. I don't even know who you are anymore."

He stood looking out of the window. She was right. He wasn't the man he used to be, he was a cruel, evil human being. His arms were folded, his fists curled up tightly like they were ready to be swung at any given moment.

"Where were you last night?"

"I'm staying with a friend, Alex. I told you I went to meet her a couple of days ago."

"I thought you were staying with Polly."

Piper was angry, how could he be so calm about it all? He had threatened her, choked her, scared her to death.

"Are you kidding? How could I stay there when you wouldn't leave me alone? Did you really think that hanging around the house and banging on the door for hours, shouting through the letterbox was going to make me forgive you?"

"I just wanted to talk to you. Piper I love you." Larry turned around to face her, his arms still folded across his chest.

"Do you really though? Do you really love me? Because recently, I don't know what to believe and what not to believe." Piper's voice softened, but she was still angry with him. To her, there was no better feeling than to be told that she was loved, but she didn't know what to think anymore.

"I married you. Of course I love you."

"Then show me, prove to me that you love me. Because I'm tired of being your punch bag Larry, I'm tired of it."

He moved towards her and Piper began to worry a little, but she stood her ground and remained where she was. He put his hand on her shoulder, the other on the side of her face. His hands were cold and clammy, much unlike Alex's touch. They stood for a moment of two, neither one looking at the other.

"Come home, please." He was begging, pleading with her. And for a moment or two, she saw the Larry that she fell in love with.

She had to be brave, she couldn't back down. Not now. She had come all this way and she wasn't going to give in so easily.

"I can't." It came out as almost a whisper, and for a second or two she wondered if she had actually said it.

He lifted his gaze and looked into her eyes, staring blankly. She didn't see anger, or sadness, or hate. She saw nothing. Nothing at all. And before she had time to walk away, he grabbed hold of her and pushed her through the living room doorway, pinning her up against the wall by the stairs. She yelped as her back slammed against the cold wall, a feeling she had felt before.

"Lar…" She tried to speak, but he put his hand over her mouth.

"If you won't stay of your own accord then it looks like I'll have to _make _you stay." He spat, his words cold and sharp like a knife.

Now, she was scared. She feared for her life. What was he going to do to her? Why had she been so stupid as to come here in the first place?

Larry took his hand away from Piper's mouth, leaning in close so that he was nothing but a few centimetres from her face. She could feel his breath on her lips and it made her feel sick to her stomach. Before he could kiss her, she turned her head to the side, trying to resist. He smirked , putting his hand around her throat to make sure she didn't move her head.

"Resisting a kiss from your own husband?"

"Larry please, we can talk about this…"

He forced his lips on to her own, trying to kiss her as though nothing had happened between the two of them. She tried to pull away, but he had her squashed between his body and the wall. There was no where else to go."

"Why don't we go upstairs? It's much more comfy up there."

Fuck. No. Oh god no. She knew what this meant. Was he going to try and? No, he wouldn't. Would he? Surely he wouldn't. She wriggled, trying to get her wrists from his grasp. But he was too strong for her, she couldn't get away from him.

"No, NO!" She screamed, spitting in his face as he tried to pull her up the stairs.

They fought and fought, but Piper was adamant that she wasn't going anywhere with him.

"Fair enough then. Looks like we'll have to do it here. But don't say I didn't warn you, it's going to be uncomfortable."

He pushed her into the corner and slid her down the wall, making sure that she was on the floor. He pushed himself on top of her, tugging at her jacket. She waved her arms around, trying to hit him in the face. Her left hand connected with his cheek and he was stunned for a second. But this was a mistake; it only made him angrier. Rage burned in his eyes as he slapped her across the face, punishing her for what she had just done.

Failing to get her jacket off her shoulders, he moved his hands down to her jeans, pulling at the buttons until they came undone. Piper tried to kick her legs but he straddled her, pinning her to the floor. She was trying to fight but so far, she was losing.

"Stop making this harder on yourself. You'll enjoy it a lot more if you just relax."

"Go to hell." She spat, strands of hair covering her right eye.

He scratched her face with his nails as punishment for what she had said to him. He couldn't handle it when people stood up to him; he had to be in control. He fumbled with his belt, pulling it open and unbuttoning his jeans. She couldn't believe he was doing this. Her own husband was trying to rape her. Pulling his jeans down so that he was only covered by his boxers, he yanked at Piper's jeans and they slid down her legs. She closed her eyes tightly, almost ready to give in.

But then she thought about Alex and Kenzi, who were back at home waiting for her. She would have to go back to Alex's apartment and pretend like everything was okay. Could she really go through this and act like she was fine? She couldn't give up, not now.

He pulled at her underwear, his hands cold on her skin. With all of the strength she had in her, she pushed him as hard as she could in the chest, knocking him backwards onto the stairs. She knew that he would only be down for a few seconds, and she had to move fast. She turned onto her stomach, beginning to crawl away from him and towards the door. Before she could get to her feet, she felt a hand around her ankle, he was trying to pull her backwards. Kicking violently, she managed to kick him in the face. He let go and she knew this was her cue to run. She stood up and pulled up her jeans, then ran for the door.

Luckily, she was able to get out before he could stop her. She sprinted down the steps and down the driveway, and she didn't stop running until she was at least a mile from the house. In the panic, she hadn't realised that she was running in the wrong direction. But she didn't care, she just wanted to be as far away from him as possible. Tears began stinging her eyes, and she had to sit down. Finding the nearest house with a garden wall, she sat down and burst into floods of tears. They stung her face and as she tried wiping them away, she found blood covering her hand. The cut Larry had left on her face was bleeding pretty badly.

Piper knew she had to call Alex. She had to let her know what had happened.

"Alex?"

"Piper? Are you crying? What's wrong?"

"Can you come and pick me up please? I'm so sorry."

"Where are you?" Alex sounded worried. "Tell me where you are and I'll come and pick you up. Piper what's the matter?"

She gave Alex directions, trying her hardest to stop her crying. "Hurry. Alex please hurry."

"I'm on my way okay Pipes, calm down. Keep yourself safe until I get there."

Piper paused for a moment. "I'm so sorry. Alex I'm so sorry."

* * *

_**A/N: *Okay so I know it was a hard chapter, but I promise that all of the worst is over! And I promise that soon, Larry will be out of the picture for good. Keep your comments coming, and than you to everyone who reviewed the story so far!***_


	13. Chapter 13

The 10 minutes that it had taken Alex to reach Piper seemed like a lifetime. Piper's heart was beating fast and she was constantly looking in either direction, praying that Larry wouldn't follow her. A car pulled up next to her eventually and for a moment or two she panicked, believing that it was Larry. The window rolled down and a familiar voice called out.

"Piper?"

The door opened and Alex stepped out, hurrying towards Piper with her arms out. The moment she felt Alex's touch, Piper's body became heavy. Alex grabbed hold of her quickly and propped her up against the wall she had just been sat on, preventing her from falling.

"What happened to you? She asked, brushing the hair from Piper's face.

"Shit." She gasped, seeing the blood on Piper's face. Looking further, she realised that Piper's hand was stained with blood, and her blonde hair was tinged red on the ends.

"Baby what happened to you?!" She pleaded, lifting Piper's head as she seemed unable to do this herself.

Piper looked at her, but she was completely out of it. Her eyes were vacant and her face was blank. She was staring at Alex like she didn't know who she was. She showed no emotion, Alex's words hadn't even registered in her brain.

"Piper!" No response.

Alex ran her fingers through her hair, moving it out of her eyes. She checked Piper's arms, making sure that she didn't have any other injuries. Scanning her body, she noticed that the buttons on Piper's jeans were undone.

"Fuck." Her hand rubbed at her left temple, trying to figure out what the hell had happened to Piper.

"Look at me. You need to tell me what happened." Piper's gaze dropped to the floor, she refused to look at Alex.

Realising that it was pointless talking to her in the state she was in, Alex put her arm around Piper's waist and lifted her up.

"We need to get you back home. Fuck, come with me."

They walked slowly to the car, Alex sat Piper In the passenger seat and buckled her in. She drove as fast as she could, glancing over at the blonde every few minutes to make sure she was okay. Piper was sat with her head against the window, her body ridged in the seat.

* * *

When they pulled up outside Alex's apartment block, she got out and propped the entrance door open, then helped Piper out of the car and up the stairs. Piper hadn't said a word the whole way; instead she just continued to stare at the ground with an empty look in her eyes. Alex helped her over to the couch, took off her jacket and sat her down.

She put her hand on Piper's cheek. "I'll be back in a second okay." She kissed her forehead and went back to the door, locking it with the key and putting the bolt across the top and bottom. Next, she grabbed a towel from the bathroom, some hot water from the sink and some cotton wool and antiseptic from the cabinet to clean Piper's face. After getting everything that she needed, she hurried back to the living room and put the things down on the coffee table.

She picked up the cotton wool and dipped it into the hot water. She dabbed the cotton wool over the cut on Piper's face.

Next, she put antiseptic on another piece of cotton wool. "This might hurt a little okay." As it touched Piper's face, she winced a little. "I'm nearly finished I promise, but if you don't get it cleaned up it could get infected."

When she was finished, she sat beside Piper and held her hand, cleaning the blood off of it. Setting everything down on the table, she reached out and tucked a piece of Piper's hair behind her ear. Piper freaked out and jumped up from the sofa, backing up into the corner.

"Piper it's okay. It's only me, Alex." Alex reached out for her but she resisted, moving further away from her.

"Stay away from me, don't touch me." Piper was pleading, begging Alex to keep her distance.

Alex tried to reason with her. "Hey, don't be scared. Piper I'm, not going to hurt you, I just want to keep you safe."

Seeing Piper's guard drop a little, Alex made her move and wrapped her arms around Piper's frame. She screamed and fought. She tried to push her away, but Alex was too strong for her. Instead, she kept her arms around her, scrunching her eyes closed tightly to stop the tears from falling. She had never once saw Piper act this way around her.

Piper flung her arms around for a couple of minutes, her face pressed into Alex's chest. Her screams were muffled and eventually, her screams turned into crying_. Hysterical crying._

"Shh." Alex comforted her, swaying slightly with the blonde in her arms.

"It's me, Alex. You're safe, no one's going to hurt you."

When she felt Piper go heavy in her arms, she didn't try and help her back to the couch. Instead, they both sank to the floor, leaning against the wall. Alex tried to readjust her position but Piper grabbed hold of her, trying to get as close to her as she could.

"Don't leave me." She begged.

Alex stroked her hair, kissing her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere. You're never going to lose me." Seeing Piper like this tore at her heart strings.

She wanted to ask her what had happened, but she was worried it would only upset her even more. She hummed quietly, rubbing Piper's arm as she clung tightly to her body.

"I saw Larry." Piper whispered.

Rage burned in Alex's stomach and it made her feel sick. It was Larry. Of course it was fucking Larry, who else could it have been?

"Piper what did he do to you?" She asked, begging that her worst fears weren't about to be confirmed.

"I was so scared Alex. One minute we were talking like adults and the next…oh god I thought he was going to kill me. I was trapped, I couldn't get out. He tried to drag me upstairs but when I said no he…he.."

"Take your time, it's okay."

Piper took a deep breath and started again. "If I hadn't got out of there Al, he would've…he would've raped me."

Alex inhaled sharply and covered her mouth with the back of her hand, afraid that she would throw up. She was shocked, completely and utterly shocked. How could someone be so cruel? She had to ask. She had to ask…

"Piper, did he..did he hurt you?"

There was silence for a moment or two. "His hands were all over me, tearing at my clothes like some sort of deranged psychopath. Every time he kissed me I wanted to vomit. He tried to get me into the bedroom but I resisted, I thought that if he couldn't get me upstairs he'd give up. But he didn't. He pinned me down on the stairs and warned me that it was going to be uncomfortable, and that's when I realised what he was trying to do. I spat at him and pleaded him to let me go, and that's how I got the scratch on my face. He pulled my jeans off and his and I was almost ready to give in. He managed to touch me but..that was it. And then I thought of you and Kenzi back here waiting for me to get home and I knew I couldn't give in. I knew I had to fight back. I hit him as hard as I could and he fell back, which was when I made my escape. He grabbed hold of me and for a moment I thought he'd won again, but I kicked and kicked and eventually I managed to kick him. And then I got up as quickly as I could and ran out of the house."

Alex stood up and paced back and forth, trying to restrain herself from slamming her fist into the nearest object. At that moment, the hate she had for Larry was indescribable. She didn't even know the guy, but he made her feel sick to her stomach. How could one man be so vile? And to a woman like Piper, someone as sweet as her didn't deserve this. Looking back down to the floor, she saw the blonde huddled into the corner, her knees brought up to her chest with her head buried inside. This wasn't the Piper she knew. It wasn't the Piper that she loved. She had been replaced by an empty shell of a human being.

Composing herself, she knelt down in front of Piper, resting a hand on the top of her arm. She flinched at the touch, her body setting like stone.

"We need to get you clean."

Piper sat still for a few seconds before extending a hand out towards Alex, signalling her to help her up. When she was on her feet, they walked slowly and quietly towards the bathroom. When they were inside, Piper sat down on the toilet seat whilst Alex began running a bath. Once it was full, Alex turned to Piper and gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's all yours. I'll be outside if you need me."

Turning away, Alex felt a tug on the sleeve of her jumper. "Don't leave. Stay with me."

This made Alex blush a little, the possibility of seeing Piper naked made her a little nervous.

"Wouldn't it be better if you had some privacy? I'll be just outside the door if you need me. Won't you feel a little awkward?"

Piper looked at Alex, her eyes begging her to stay. "We've done this plenty of times." Her voice went quiet. "Please Alex, I don't want to be alone."

Agreeing, Alex closed the bathroom door and turned around to face the wall while Piper got undressed. Once she had taken off her clothes, she stepped into the water and sat down.

"I'm done."

Alex turned round and walked over to the bathtub, kneeling down so that she could lean on the side. She watched as the bubbles covering Piper's body popped and fizzed, the sound ringing in her ears. Piper was staring at the tiled wall ahead of her, the events of the night clearly running through her mind.

"It'll all be okay, you know. It'll take time but you'll be okay."

Piper flashed a sad smile. "I'm sorry for lying about where I was going. I'm sorry for going to the house tonight."

"Hey, you don't have to apologise to me. You have nothing to be sorry for. None of it is your fault, not one single bit. You don't need him in your life Piper, you tried to reason with him and help him but he couldn't see what he had right in front of him. You tried your best Pipes, that's all a person can do."

Piper sighed in defeat. There was no point in arguing with Alex because inside, she knew she was right.

"Are you going to call the police?"

"I'm scared what he'll do if he finds out."

Alex sighed. She knew that the police had to know. If they didn't report it, there was a chance that he would do the same thing to someone else.

"Piper if you don't report him to the police he's free to do this again. You can't go out into the city confidently knowing that he's still out there. He almost raped you, and I know that it's not nice to face up to but it's true, and you can't let him get away with that. He deserves to be punished for what he's done."

"I never thought I'd have to report my husband to the police."

"No one ever expects that Pipe's, but the world's a shitty place. You know I'm here for you whatever you decide to do, but I just want you safe and I want him away from you."

Piper rested her head against the back of the tub, letting the ends of her hair fall into the water. A million thoughts ran through her mind. How would she explain to her parents that she was reporting her husband for attempted rape? How could she face him again if he was put on trial? What if the police accused her of lying?

* * *

After the bath, Alex made the two of them some food while Piper changed into some comfortable clothes. She had taken Kenzi to Nicky's house when Piper had called and after explaining the situation, Nicky and Lorna had been more than happy to look after the little girl for the night.

"I made lasagne because I know it used to be your favourite. I know that was a long time ago but I wasn't exactly sure what else to make."

The two of them sat down at the table to eat their dinner that Alex had made.

"It's still my favourite. No one could ever make it like you could, though." She smiled.

Taking a mouthful of pasta, she closed her eyes and overdramatically chewed her food. "Tastes just like it used to."

Alex laughed, "Well what can I say? I'm an excellent cook."

Halfway through eating their dinner, Piper set her fork down on the edge of the plate. And rested her chin on her hand.

"I've been thinking about what you said."

"I've said a lot of things." Alex joked, putting a mouthful of food into her mouth.

"About Larry. I think we should go to the police."


	14. Chapter 14

_Guys I am so sorry for the delayed update! It took me a long time to write this chapter as I had writers block, and I honestly didn't know what to do with the story! But I'm back now, and I have my idea's sorted in my head. All the dark stuff is over now I promise you, and there will be happier things to come. Much love to you all and I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

That night, neither of them managed to sleep properly. Piper would wake every hour or so after a nightmare. No matter how hard she tried to push it out of her mind, the memories of the nights earlier events haunted her. Alex held her tightly, stroking her hair and humming different tunes to her as she fell asleep, desperately trying anything to keep her calm.

She was shaking with terror and each time she woke, the nightmare had been more vivid than the previous one. Alex was at a loss, she'd never seen Piper this way before. She knew how to comfort her when she was upset but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't console her.

The next morning, Alex went out early to pick up Kenzi. She left Piper a note in case she woke up while she was gone, to let her know that she had gone for her daughter and she wouldn't be long. Nicky and Lorna loved having Kenzi around, so Alex didn't have to worry too much about apologising for dumping her on them so quickly last night. After collecting the little girl, she drove them straight back home much to Kenzi's excitement.

"Is Pippy staying with us forever?" The little girl shouted at Alex.

Instantly, she regretted telling Kenzi that Piper was staying over. It was 8am, and Alex didn't care for loud noises until at least noon.

"We'll have to wait and see okay."

"I like it when she stays. She gives me cuddles."

"Hey, I give you cuddles too!"

Kenzi giggled. "But Pippy's cuddles are the best."

Defeated by the 3 year old, Alex shook her head and laughed.

"You gotta remember to be quiet when we get home okay, Piper's sleeping and I don't want you waking her up."

"Can I sleep too mommy? I'm tired." On cue, Kenzi yawned and stretched out her arms.

"Of course you can sleep baby. It's early and we could all use some sleep.

Arriving outside the apartment, Alex picked up her daughter and they both went inside. When they were home, Alex unzipped Kenzi's jacket and hung it on the door. Nicky had left the little girl in her pajama's which meant Alex didn't have to worry about getting her changed.

"You be a good girl and sleep for a few hours okay? Remember, Piper needs her rest."

Kenzi nodded her head furiously and Alex tucked her in to her bed, placing her favourite toy next to her.

Closing the door behind her, Alex snuck back into her own bedroom where she found Piper still sound asleep. Her head was rested on her arm and her hair was swept across her face.

'_Beautiful' _Alex thought to herself as she took off her jumper and climbed into the bed beside the blonde. Piper stirred a little, moving in closer to Alex so that she was able to cuddle her.

* * *

When she woke for the second time, Alex reached out and found Piper's side of the bed empty. Panicking, she jumped up quickly and searched the apartment. Thoughts ran through her head and she instantly worried that Piper had stupidly gone back to Polly's house. Opening the door to Kenzi's room, she found the two of on Kenzi's bed. Kenzi was sat on Piper's knee and they were both looking out of the window, giggling and whispering to each other.

"What's going on here?" Alex asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Piper turned round and smiled. "I didn't know if you were awake. How long have you been there?"

"Piper was telling me a story!" Kenzi butted in before Alex could reply.

"What was the story about?" Alex walked into the room and sat down on the bed.

"The people on the street..they were superheroes!"

Piper laughed. "We were watching the people walk by on the street and I was making up stories about them."

"Sounds like great fun..thanks for the invite."

"We love you though mommy!" Kenzi hopped off Piper's lap and threw herself at Alex.

"I love you too baby. Are you hungry?"

"She's already eaten. I came in to check on her and she said she was hungry; I didn't want to wake you up. I hope that's okay?" Piper looked like a lost puppy, her eyes begging for forgiveness.

"That's fine, thank you for doing that."

Piper smiled at Alex and the little girl. There was something about Piper that made Alex's heart feel as though it was about to explode.

Setting the little girl down onto the floor, Alex ruffled her hair. "Why don't you go and play with your toys in the living room? I need to have a talk with Piper."

"Okay mommy." She said, hurrying off into the living room, leaving Piper and Alex alone.

"I think we should go today…to the police." Alex put her hand on top of Piper's, squeezing tightly.

Piper paused for a moment, and Alex knew this was a big decision. "W..why today?"

"Because I know you, Pipes." She sighed. "I know that if you keep putting it off, you won't go. I'm not trying to pressure you but Piper this is important. You're playing with your life here. He's a dangerous man, a man who deserves to be punished for the things he's done to you."

Piper knew she was right, but the more she thought about Larry the more she regretted the decision that she hadn't even made yet. No, she was stupid. How could she regret her decision to turn in a man who would've raped her if he'd gotten the chance? How could she feel sorry for someone who was inhumane, evil?

"Let's go." Piper stood up and made her way to the bedroom to get dressed, Alex following close behind.

"We don't have to do this right now. It's only noon, we can go later." She stood by the door, watching Piper throw on her clothes quickly.

"No, Alex. If we don't do this now, I'm scared that I won't ever do it." She stopped to look at Alex, her eyes begging her to let her go.

"Okay. But let me get dressed first okay."

* * *

In the car, Kenzi sang along loudly to the radio, trying as hard as she could. Piper laughed at the little girl, singing with her every so often because she knew that eventually it would begin to get on Alex's nerves.

"You know if you're trying to annoy me it's not working. Having you sing along to an 80's CD in the car every single day began to get a little tedious after a while, but when you have a 3 year old who insists on singing along to every song and nursery rhyme that ever existed, you have no other choice but to grit your teeth and bare it."

Piper punched Alex playfully on the arm. "Are you saying my 80's anthems weren't good enough for you?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. There are only so many times you can listen to 'Jessie's Girl' at a volume where you can't even hear yourself think."

"Well then, that's the last time you hear my singing voice." Piper folded her arms and stared ahead of her, pretending to be annoyed.

Alex fist pumped jokingly "Thank the heavens. There is a god after all."

They thought about taking Kenzi with them, but they feared that she would be scared if they were to take her into the station with them. Instead, they dropped her off at Red's place and promised her they would be back in an hour or two. Alex explained Piper's situation to Red, and she was more than understanding of the whole thing.

When they got to the police station, Piper sat rigid in her seat. Her hands were crossed in her lap and she was looking out of the windscreen.

"We're here.." Alex spoke, but she knew that Piper already knew.

"I'll be right there beside you, I'm not going anywhere."

Piper got out of the car and shut the door, walking around to the driver's side whilst Alex got out. Once they were sorted, Alex put her arm around Piper and they made their way into the station. There was a woman sat at the desk, separated from them by a sheet of glass. Taking a deep breath, Piper moved forward and stood in front of the desk.

"May I help you?" The woman asked, looking up from the newspaper that she was reading. She looked around 50, and her blonde hair was streaked with grey. She looked as though she'd had her fair share of traumatic experiences, and the look in her eye was almost enough to kill a man. Her name badge read 'Officer W. Bell'.

"Y…yes. I'd like to report a Domestic Violence case."

The woman's face softened a little, and she seemed as though she was sympathising with Piper. "Take a seat, an Officer will be with you in a second."

Piper nodded and moved to the back of the waiting area, sitting down with Alex beside her. Alex squeezed her hand tightly and smiled at her. "You're going to do great. Just tell them everything that happened."

"I'm so scared."

"I know you are Pipes. But everything is going to be okay, he deserves this. Don't think you're a bad person because you're not, you're just doing what anyone else would do in this situation."

* * *

"You said this has been going on for a while now. Can you tell us when this started?" The two officers were sat on the other side of the table, opposite Piper and Alex. A tape-recorder sat in between them on the table.

"We..we got married and it started a few months after. At first it was just the odd argument and then he hit me. He apologised and I didn't think anything else of it because he'd been drinking, but it didn't stop there. He would come home in a bad mood and take it out on me, shouting and swearing, throwing things around and smashing glasses. But he eventually began to hit me, he would come straight for me instead of chucking things like he used to."

The officer nodded whilst another wrote down notes. "Is there anyone else involved? Any children? Family members?"

Piper swallowed hard. "We had..would've had a child. No, no."

The officer sat up, leaning his elbows on the table. "Do you mind me asking what happened, Mrs. Bloom."

"Chapman. Please call me Miss Chapman." She corrected him, refusing to share the same name as Larry.

He nodded and carried on with his question. "Do you mind me asking what happened to your child?"

She looked at Alex for reassurance and Alex nodded. "Tell them."

"I found out I was pregnant, around the time Larry's drinking got out of control. He wasn't being violent at the time, but I was still scared to tell him because I wasn't sure how he'd take the news. When I finally had the courage to tell him he started laughing and thought I was joking. And then he accused me of cheating on him, saying that the baby couldn't be his. He said he had to get out and that he wanted to go for a drink, but I needed him and I didn't want him to leave. So I tried to stop him leaving, I said we needed to talk about the situation. But he pushed me out-of-the-way and knocked me over. You know what the sad part is? He didn't even come back to help me, he just left me on my own."

"And who did you call? Did you call anyone for help?"

"My friend…Polly. She was the one who took me to the hospital."

"And did she know your husband was a violent man?"

"No..not at the time. I told her I'd fallen over on the way home from work. But when he started becoming more and more violent I confided in her. I was staying at her home until recently, but Larry found out where I was and he wouldn't leave me alone. He would knock on the door and shout through the letterbox, calling my name. I moved to Alex's because he didn't know where I was, he can't find me there because he doesn't know where she lives."

"You said that last night, he tried forcing himself upon you when you were at the house, do you know where he is now?"

"Probably still at home, I haven't spoken to him so I don't know."

"Thank you, Miss…Chapman. We have all we need to know." He nodded at the officer next to him who took the paper from the desk and exited the room. "For now, you need to keep yourself safe. From what you've told me, it sounds like you'll be safe at your friend's place. May I ask if there are any children in the house?"

"I have a daughter." Alex said. "She's 3 years old."

"We'll have an officer keep a check on your apartment, just to make sure that you're all safe. But I can assure you that after today, Mr. Bloom will not be a threat to you anymore."


	15. Chapter 15

After reporting her case to the police station, Alex and Piper picked up Kenzi from Red's place. To keep the peace between the two of them, Piper decided that it was best for her to visit Polly, and tell her what was happening.

"We'll be here waiting for you when you get back." Alex said as they pulled up outside Polly's house.

"I'd invite you in..but I need to talk to Polly about the situation first."

"Don't worry, we both know how Polly feels about me." Alex said, laughing a little.

"I won't be long, I promise." Piper kissed Alex's cheek and got out of the car, making her way up towards the house.

"You just kissed!" Kenzi shouted, covering her mouth and kicking her foot against the driver's seat.

Alex laughed at the little girl who was clearly disgusted by the kiss her and Piper had just shared.

Piper knocked on the door, her palms sweaty.

"Thank god you're okay! Where the hell have you been?!" Polly opened the door and was shocked to finally see Piper.

"Can I come in? I need to talk."

Before going inside, Piper turned around to look in the direction of Alex's car, looking to Alex for reassurance.

"So, where have you been?" Polly asked, sitting down on the couch.

"I've been at a friend's. I couldn't stay here, not with Larry hanging around every day. He was driving me crazy, taunting me because he knew I was in the house alone. I had to get out, go somewhere where he couldn't find me."

"Is he still bothering you?"

Piper paused for a moment. The last few days had drained her, and she wasn't sure that she could go through what happened again.

"The police are looking to arrest him. Please, don't make me go into detail. I've had a long day already and after the stressful events yesterday I'm not ready to go through it all again."

You would tell from the look on Polly's face that she was concerned for her best friend. She was over the moon when Piper got married, and she never wished for one second that this would ever happen to her.

"Oh, Pipes. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you; just promise me you'll tell me when the time is right, okay? At least he can't torment you anymore, prison is the best place for him. "

Piper nodded. She would tell Polly eventually, but not right now.

"So, whose house are you staying at?" Polly questioned for a second time.

"If I tell you, you gotta promise not to freak out okay?"

"Did you meet someone new already?!"

Piper rolled her eyes at Polly's comment. She knew from experience that Polly was one for overreacting.

"You know the night Larry and I left Finn's birthday party, and we had an argument? When I got out of the car and he grabbed my neck, a passer-by pulled him off to stop him hurting me. When he ran off, the stranger helped me up and back into the car. It wasn't until it was over that I realised who it was…It was Alex."

Polly thought for a moment, taking in everything Piper had just said. After a few moments, her head snapped up and her eyes were wide. "Alex?! As is, _the _Alex? _Supercunt Alex?_"

"Polly!"

"What has this got to do with anything? Wait…you aren't, are you?"

"I'm staying at her house."

"You're what?! Oh Piper, why did you let her drag you back into her pathetic life? She's a lowlife, lying, selfish bitch who doesn't deserve you, you know what happened last time. I'm surprised she even has a house, I thought she'd be on the streets somewhere injecting herself with heroin just like she always used to."

"Don't talk about her like that okay!" Piper stood up, standing her ground. " She's changed, she's not like that anymore."

"People like her _don't _change, Piper."

"She isn't dealing anymore. She has a home, and a daughter."

"A daughter? Isn't she supposed to be gay?"

"You can be gay and still have children, Polly. It's a long story okay. But she's different; she isn't the person she used to be."

Polly sighed. "I don't want her hurting you again."

"We were both to blame for what happened. Besides, that's in the past now and I've enjoyed hanging out with her."

"Just don't get too attached to her, there's something about her that makes me uneasy."

* * *

Alex sat on the couch next to Piper.

"She should be asleep for a good few hours."

"The poor thing looked exhausted in the car."

"She tires herself out easily, she's like a mini tornado." The two women laughed.

"So, how'd it go with Polly, or is it Holly?"

Piper smacked Alex playfully on the arm. "She was _thrilled_ to hear about you."

"Oh I'm sure. Does this mean I gotta watch my back in case the crazy bitch comes after me?"

"No, don't worry. It won't be anything like the time I had to watch my back when Sylvie came after me in a jealous rage.."

"Hey, you had sex with a taken woman remember?" Alex laughed.

"Alex!" Piper slapped Alex's arm once more. "She's just concerned about me okay, especially after what happened."

"Yeah I guess, but what did she say?"

"She was…surprised to say the least. I told her how we ran into each other and that I enjoyed hanging with you. I also told her about Larry, but I was too drained to go into any detail. She knows I'll tell her when I feel up to it."

Alex put her arm around Piper. "You don't have to tell anyone until you're ready. And I'll be here for you no matter what."

Piper cuddled into Alex's chest and lay there for a moment or two. It was the little things like this that she had missed the most, and the way that Alex always knew exactly what to say at the right moment. Alex kissed the top of Piper's head, inhaling the scent of the shampoo that she had used this morning.

"Why do you always smell so damn good?" Alex asked, trying not to admit that it turned her on…a lot.

"I shower like 3 times a day..I'd be a bit concerned if I didn't always smell clean." Piper chuckled. "I love showering."

That was true. Ever since Piper was a child, she had loved bathing to get clean. She would shower at least twice a day, sometimes even 3.

"Well you smell gorgeous, you always do."

"Thank you." Piper replied shyly. "Don't smell to bad yourself."

"Well it's not my usual cigarettes and alcohol combo..but thanks." The two of them laughed in sync.

"God it's been so long since I've been happy..like really happy."

Alex held onto her a little tighter. "Things will get better kid. You just gotta believe that they will."

Piper lifted her head off Alex's chest and turned to face the dark haired woman. She studied Alex's face, tracing her thumb over her cheek as if she was seeing this woman again for the first time. She looked a little older, but not much. Before she could change her mind, she leaned in and pressed her lips softly up against Alex's. When she pulled away, Alex's eyes were closed shut.

"W...what was that for?" Alex asked, opening her eyes slowly.

"I don't deserve to be here with you right now."

"Piper...we talked about this. It's in the past; you need to forget about it. Stop putting yourself down, bringing it up will only make you hurt."

"But what if…"

"Stop." Alex cut her off. "I'm over it, we both made mistakes."

Piper sighed in defeat. She hated how stubborn and forward Alex could be at times, but she knew that she was only doing it for her own good. Alex was always straight to the point, and she would never hold back if something needed to be said.

"You're such an ass sometimes." Piper groaned, throwing her head back onto the back of the couch.

"Maybe. But you love me for it." Alex poked her sides.

Piper sighed. "I do."

Alex placed a light kiss on the front of Piper's neck, the words 'I do' still ringing in her ears. Did Piper really love her? Or was she just being nice and saying thank you for letting her stay at the apartment. As Alex kissed Piper's neck once more, she let out a little groan in return. Piper loved it when Alex kissed her neck; it was the way she did it so slow and soft.

Responding to Piper's needs, she brought her hand up to the side of Piper's face and kissed along her jaw line and down her neck to her collarbone. Piper wrapped her fingers in Alex's dark hair and tugged slightly, letting her know that she wanted her to move further up so she could see her. Alex agreed and kissed back up Piper's neck towards her lips. Upon 'arrival', Piper crashed her lips against Alex's, nibbling at her bottom lip slightly as her tongue begged for entrance into Alex's.

Alex pulled Piper closer towards her until the blonde was straddling her lap, her hands caressing her sides gently. She tugged at the white t-shirt that Piper was wearing and it was soon over her head and chucked onto the floor.

Their hands clawed at each other, wanting more of one another. Their bodies couldn't get close enough, no matter how much they pulled each other in, they both wanted more. Not wanting it to happen on the couch, Alex picked up Piper and slowly made her way to the bedroom, being careful not to trip as she couldn't see anything that was in front of her.

Closing the door behind them, Alex through Piper down onto the bed and quickly took off her own t-shirt. Then, she began to kiss her way up her stomach, across her chest and up towards her jaw. Piper's nails dug into the flesh on Alex's back, leaving red marks across her skin. Alex moaned against Piper's neck, encouraging the blonde to tighten her grip.

Alex soon realised they were getting carried away too quickly, and pulled away to look at Piper.

"Are you sure?" she whispered.

"Yes." Piper said, biting her lip. She wanted nothing more than to feel Alex's touch. It had been too long. The other night had happened so fast and if it wasn't for Kenzi, they would've slept together.

"I don't want to pressure you… we can stop if you want to."

Alex didn't want to feel like she was pushing Piper into anything, not after everything she had been through.

"Alex…I want you. Now."


	16. Chapter 16

Piper head was spinning as she felt Alex's lips trail over her stomach. She knew what was happening, but she felt as though it wasn't real. Apart from the messing around that happened a couple of nights earlier, they hadn't been in the situation in over 10 years. 10 years since they had felt each other. In her head she knew that if things were to work out, they had to take things slowly. But her urges were telling her something else. Sex had never been the same after Alex, she made her feel things that she never thought were even possible.

Before Piper had the time to say anything else, she felt her jeans being pulled down her legs and heard the noise as theywere tossed aside on to the floor. Alex's long dark hair tickled her stomach as she kissed further and further down, coming to a stop at the inside of her thighs. She trailed her tongue along her thighs, close to her centre, purposely ignoring what she knew Piper wanted most. She could feel Piper wriggling underneath her, becoming frustrated and increasingly turned on as Alex ignored her urges.

"Alex.." Piper spoke, almost begging. Alex knew what she wanted, but she didn't want to give in just yet. It had been so long since they had been this close, and she wanted to take her time and do it right.

She could smell Piper's scent, and upon tracing her fingers up and down Piper's underwear, she could tell how wet she already was. She smirked smugly, realising that it was her that had made Piper this way.

Once more, Piper groaned at Alex's touch. Hooking her fingers into the sides of Piper's bottoms, she pulled at them and Piper lifted slightly so that it was easier to remove them. Chucking them in the same direction as Piper's pants, she moved her attention back to the blonde who was lying in front of her.

Knowing that Piper was becoming increasingly impatient, Alex moved her head closer and placed a single kiss against Piper's lips. This was enough to make Piper shiver and she felt as though the kiss alone would be enough to make her come.

Alex held on to Piper's hips and ran her tongue up Piper's wetness, feeling her body tense up beneath her.

"Al please." Piper's voice shook and she laid the back of her arm across her eyes so that Alex couldn't see her face. Alex knew how shy Piper got during sex even though Alex knew Piper's body as well as she knew her own.

Alex circles Piper's clit with her tongue, before gently pushing a finger inside her. Piper arched her back and grabbed at the bed sheets with the hand that wasn't covering her face. Thrusting her fingers in and out, she added a second one and picked up the pace a little, flicking her tongue back and forth much to Piper's delight. When she knew that Piper was close, she curled her fingers as she moved in and out, bumping them against the spot that was sure to send Piper over the edge.

Piper clutched Alex's hair, trying to push her in closer as she came closer to her relief. Her orgasm ripped through her body and she took her hand away from her face to grab hold of the bed sheets, steadying herself as the pleasure left her body.

"Oh my god Alexxx." She groaned.

When it was over, her legs had turned to jelly and she knew that she wouldn't be able to stand. Alex wiped her face on her arm and crawled back up Piper's tiny body, coming to a rest when they were face to face.

The shyness crept back into Piper and suddenly she was covering her face again, giggling nervously.

"Hey, stop covering your pretty face." Alex said, propping herself up on one arm to keep herself steady.

Piper mumbled something into her arm.

"Sorry to disappoint but I don't speak mumble. Take your arm away from your face, it's just me.

Obeying, Piper slowly uncovered her face and looked at Alex. She was met by two sparkling green eyes and a big smile.

"What're you smiling at?" Piper asked, rolling on to her side to be closer to Alex.

"You. You're beautiful."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

Piper jumped up and lay on top of Alex, attacking her mouth with her own. Alex laughed a little and wrapped her arms around Piper's back.

"God, you're freezing!" Alex interrupted their kiss. Piper's body was freezing.

She stood up and pulled Piper with her, holding on to her as her legs were still a little wobbly. She pulled back the dark red bed sheets and got inside, helping Piper in before covering them both up with the duvet. She wrapped her arms around Pipers tiny frame and pulled her in close to warm her up.

"That better?" She asked.

"Yeah." Piper replied, kissing Alex's lips.

It wasn't long before she was back on top of Alex, running her hands all over her body. She reached her hands around and undone the clasp on Alex's bra, throwing it down on to the floor beside the bed. She left a trail of kisses along Alex's neck and sucked on her collarbone gently, remembering this was something that Alex enjoyed. After quickly kissing down Alex's stomach, she unbuttoned her jeans and ushered Alex to take them off.

Watching Piper, Alex could tell how vulnerable the girl really was. Her eyes glistened and Alex knew that she was safe here, but there was still something there that hinted sadness.

Before Piper had time to take off Alex's underwear, a hand grabbed hold of the blondes. She looked up at Alex who was watching her.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

There was a little bit of confusion on Piper's face. "Of course I am, why?"

"It's just..you don't have to if you don't want to."

Piper lowered her head and kissed dangerously close to Alex's centre whilst keeping her eyes locked with Alex's.

"Shut up."

Something about Piper's action's had turned Alex on, and so she lay her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes as she felt her panties being pulled down her legs. This was another thing that Alex liked about Piper, she could go from being shy to being dominating within seconds.

As Piper's fingers entered her, she pressed her body down into the bed and her head back into the pillow. It had been a long time since Alex had been this close with someone, and after Chrissy she never even thought about having another relationship with anyone, never mind Piper of all people.

"Pipes please." She moaned. Piper was teasing Alex with her tongue because she knew it drove her crazy.

Pushing another finger inside of her, she picked up the pace and began moving faster. The taste of Alex made her crave her girl's body even more, and so she flicked her tongue back and forth wanting to taste her as much as she could. She carried on doing this until Alex came, her body wriggling and her legs shaking.

Removing her fingers from Alex, she locked eye contact with the dark haired woman as she made her way back up towards her. Alex was breathing heavily and Piper smirked as she kissed her forehead.

"Tired?"

"It's just…been a while." Alex said in between breaths.

"Maybe you're just getting old."

"Oi!" She said, rolling over so she was hovering over Piper. "That's mean."

"I'm kidding." She said, lifting up to kiss Alex's lips. "I love you."

Alex watched Piper for a moment. It was beginning to get dark outside but she could still see Piper clearly enough. Her pupils were dilated and her bambi eyes stared back into her own. Did she really mean that?

"You're really bad at lying."

Piper's face got serious. "I'm not lying, Alex. I love you. I always have."

Alex lay beside her and wrapped her arm around her waist.

"I love you too."

* * *

"Alex.."

"Hmm..what?" Alex could hear Piper beside her, but when she opened her eyes all she saw was darkness.

"It's 8pm. We fell asleep!"

Alex jumped up. "Oh shit! Can you pass me my glasses?"

Piper got her glasses from the bedside table and handed them too her. They got up and dressed lightly, putting on their underwear and only a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. It was cold, but the apartment would soon warm up once the fire had been switched on. Piper went into Kenzi's room while Alex went to put the heating on.

"Pippy!" Kenzi shouted, sitting up in her bed.

"Hey baby. Did you sleep well?"

Kenzi nodded. "I've been awake for ageeees!" She sang. "Mommy looked angry the last time I came into her bedroom so I stayed here and waited for you."

Piper picked up the little girl and kissed her cheek. "Well aren't you just the sweetest? Are you hungry?"

"Yes!" She said, clearly excited that she would soon be getting fed.

The two of them went back into the living room and watched as Alex rummaged through the cupboards.

"Well, there's nothing in that we can eat, so it looks like we're getting takeout."

Kenzi's legs thrashed around furiously because she knew she could ask for anything that she wanted.

"What do you want to eat?" Alex came over and kissed Kenzi on the head. "Hey sleepyhead."

"Anything's fine with me."

"You still like Chinese yeah?"

Piper smiled. "Do you even need to ask that question?"

"Chinese it is then. Kenzi?"

"Fooooooood."

Piper and Alex laughed at the little girl that was perched on Piper's hip.

"Good going Kenz, what do you want to eat?"

"I don't know.." She said, lifting up her hands dramatically into the air.

"Fine..i'll surprise you." Alex laughed, shaking her head she went off to find the menu.

* * *

"You know, if crispy seaweed was the only food left on the earth, I could quite happily survive on it." Pipersaid as she put another fork full into her mouth.

Alex cringed and shook her head. "That's disgusting!"

"You're disgusting." Piper laughed, taking a mouthful of noodles and leaving one of them to hang out of her mouth.

Kenzi pointed and laughed at Piper and the noodle that was hanging from her mouth.

"See what you're doing to my child? You're setting a bad example!" Alex laughed.

Piper turned to Kenzi who was sat opposite the two of them. "Am I a bad example?" She asked, looking shocked.

"No! Mommy leave Pippy alone!"

Piper burst into a bit of laughter and poked Alex with her fork. Winding Alex up was something that she was good enough, and she loved how easy Kenzi had warmed to her.

"Okay you two, are you done ganging up on me?"

Kenzi nodded and went back to eating her food.

"I think I might go back to work in a few days."

"Are you sure? Isn't it a bit soon after everything that's happened?"

"I have to go back sooner or later, plus I need the money and Polly's on her own."

"Piper you own half of the business, you can take as much time as you need. I don't want you going back to work and not feeling right."

"I'm okay. Work will give me something to do and it'll take my mind off everything."

When they were finished eating, Alex cleared away the plates while Piper put Kenzi to bed. It was just after 10 and they'd all had a long day.

"Will she sleep through the night?" Piper asked, walking up behind Alex and wrapping her arms around her waist as Alex leant against the kitchen counter.

"She probably will, can sleep forever that girl. I'm tired too, I'm not used to having someone to tire me out."

Piper laughed. "Has it really been that long since you had a girlfriend?"

Alex turned around so she was facing Piper. "A few years. After Chrissy left I stopped focusing on getting into a relationship, I just looked after Kenzi."

The blonde reached up and kissed Alex. "Let's go to bed."


End file.
